Anyone Else But You
by BlueBoxAngel
Summary: For three years, Paul and Lydia have refused to have anything to do with one another; their hatred for each other interfering with their imprint bond. With the threat of vampires on the horizon, will they finally find a way to get past their differences or will it take something much more drastic to make the two of them realize that they need each other?
1. Chapter 1

**So... New story! I have no idea why I'm doing this since I already have no time to write and a few stories to finish but here you go. Please let me know what you think. Reviews = happiness and with my workload, happiness is needed :) **

**So here you go, my dear reader chums. Enjoy! **

It was the first day of October. The clouds were a dark shade of grey, despite it still being only mid-morning, and they rumbled with the threat of rain. With great reluctance, Paul forced himself to leave the comfort of his bed and head for the bathroom. If he wasn't showered and dressed respectably within the next half an hour, Sam would chew him out for being irresponsible. Not to mention Jacob Black.

Today was the day that Lydia Black turned twenty years old. Paul hated the young woman with a passion but he had no other choice but to attend the party that was being thrown for her birthday. After all, Lydia was his imprint.

The irony of the situation was not lost on him. At just under a year younger than Lydia, Paul had spent his entire life hating her. For as long as he could remember, they had always disliked one another. Paul felt her to be bossy, bitchy and completely annoying. It angered him greatly that he had imprinted on her the very second he had seen her after he first phased. The Gods couldn't have gotten it more wrong, he thought to himself. There was no way in hell he would ever love Lydia Black.

Across the other side of the reservation, Lydia Black closed the last button on her cream coloured shirt and brushed her fingers through her long, midnight black coloured hair. She took one last look in the mirror before shutting the door of her bedroom and making her way downstairs to the living room, where she knew her family would be waiting for her.

* * *

"Where the hell is Paul?" Sam mumbled to Emily.

The entire Pack and their families were situated around Billy Black's home. They had all gathered to celebrate the birthday of his youngest daughter, Lydia, and Paul was over an hour late.

"He'll be here." replied Emily; gifting her fiancé with a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

"Jake's going to kick his ass." Quil added, with an air of glee in his voice.

As much as Quil was Paul's friend, he couldn't resist watching a good wolf fight between Jacob and Paul. The two had never really gotten along and their relationship had only worsened in the years since Jacob had begun dating Bella Swan.

"Shut up, Quil." Jared stated, as he handed a sandwich to his girlfriend, Kim.

"I'm just saying. Jake's pissed."

Just that second, as if by magic, Jacob appeared; his face a picture of thunder,

"Where the hell is Paul?!"

There wasn't a single bit of Jacob that enjoyed the fact that Paul had imprinted on his sister over three years ago. Paul was a well-known man whore and Jacob knew that his sister was way out of Paul's league. The only blessing, it seemed, was that Lydia seemed to know it too. She hated Paul just as much as Jacob did.

"Relax, Black. I'm here."

Paul's voice echoed around the kitchen as he entered. He had gotten distracted flirting with a pretty blonde girl who had asked him for directions. Not that he was going to tell Jacob that.

"You should have been here ages ago."

"Well, I'm here now."

"It's not good enough."

"Oh, stop whining, Black. It's not like I killed your damn cat or something."

"Paul." Sam warned.

The last thing anyone needed was for a fight to break out. Sighing angrily, Jacob forced his body to relax and he ignored the urge to yell even more at Paul for being so inconsiderate.

"Just… go and give Lydia her present,."

"Present?"

"Yes. Her present, Paul."

"Paul, you did get her a present, right?" asked Jared.

With a nonchalant aura, Paul shrugged his broad shoulders.

"For fuck's sake!" yelled Jacob. "It's her birthday! She's your imprint!"

"Hey, I didn't ask for her to be! I didn't even want to be here!"

"Enough!"

Sam's voice boomed out loud and clear and he was certain that guests in the living room would have heard his outburst.

"You two need to stop. Paul, Jake's right. You may not like it but Lydia is your imprint. The least you can do is go and say happy birthday."

"I don't -"

"I. Don't. Care. Go and do it. Now."

With a scowl, Paul balled up his fists and made to storm out of the kitchen and follow his orders, when he was prevented from doing so by the appearance of the birthday girl herself.

"Why is he here?" Lydia stated, referring to the hot-tempered wolf-boy.

Paul was the very last person she wanted to see on her birthday.

"Lee, you're his imprint-" started Jacob.

"But I'm not his bloody wife! Or even his girlfriend for that matter. I don't want him here."

"Fine by me, princess. I don't even want to be here."

"Don't call me 'princess'"

"Whatever. I'm out of here."

Pushing passed Lydia, Paul stormed out of the kitchen and quickly made his made out of the house; ignoring the stares and whispers that followed him. He was shaking with rage and wanted to be as far away from Lydia as possible. Oh, how she infuriated him. He had barely gotten a few feet away from the house before he heard his name being called out.

"Paul!"

"Go away, Princess."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Then stop following me!"

Stomping her feet on the spot, Lydia yelled out into the morning air and began to run after Paul, whose great speed had helped him to further the distance between himself and her home. She reached him in just under a minute and grab him by the back of his black, cotton shirt.

"Paul!"

"What do you want?!"

"I want you to stop being such a dick to me."

"Then stop being a spoilt little bitch then."

"Hey, I didn't want you here today. I'd be quite happy to never set eyes on you again. You seem to think that you're doing me a favour by turning up on my birthday. You're not! All you're doing is ruining it… like you ruin everything else you touch."

For Paul, Lydia's cruel words were the last straw and he felt his fragile grip on his anger finally break. In mere moments, his body had begun to shake with such a violent force that he was almost sure his bones would break. Seeing what was happening right before her eyes, Lydia took a number of steps back. She had seen what had happened to Emily years before when Sam has lost control over his phasing, and had turned far too near to her. The ugly scars were a constant reminder of how dangerous it was to run with The Pack, and Lydia cursed the fact that she had found herself imprinted on by its most volatile member.

The transformation had in the blink of an eye. One second, Paul was a man. The next… a large wolf with fur the same colour of the dark grey sky above their heads, stood towering over Lydia; advancing upon her slowly. The wolf bared its sharp, white teeth and snarled with a deafening volume. Lydia knew that she should be scared by Paul's wolf but her anger at him was drowning out her fear.

She was angry. She was enraged at him of all the time. He had ruined her life by imprinting on her. She could never leave the reservation now. She knew that neither her family, the Elders nor Paul's wolf would allow it. Because of an ancient legend and a magical gene, Lydia was destined to spend the rest of her life tied to a man she did not want… and she resented Paul for that.

"Lydia! Get away from him" she heard Sam shout.

The two were a quite a distance from the house now and she knew that it would take Sam at least a minute to reach them. With every second that passed, Lydia stood her ground. She never wavered as Paul moved ever closer towards her. Not even when his face was just centimetres away from hers did she move. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her run away scared.

"Oh, the big bad wolf is mad."

"Lee!"

Jacob's voice rang out loud and clear and she didn't have to turn around to know that by now, her brother and Sam would be running to protect her.

"Well tough shit. Suck it up, Paulie."

"She's fucking crazy!"

The words reached Lydia's ears. Instantly, she recognised the voices. Embry, Jared and Quil had clearly come out to watch the show. Maybe Quil had a point. Maybe she was crazy. She was taunting a wolf that was more than capable of tearing her to shreds, and treating him as if he was a harmless puppy.

Before she could say anything more, she was surrounded by various member of The Pack. Jacob grabbed her by the arms and started pushing her away from the grey wolf, who was still snarling and digging his giant paws into the green grass.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?!"

"Back off, Jake."

"In what bloody universe do you think you can take on Paul?!"

"Calm down. Paul wouldn't hurt me."

"Lee!"

"Jake!"

Making his way through the small crowd, Sam ordered Embry, Quil and Jared to return to the Black household. By now, he knew, Emily would be worrying. Against their will, the three young men made their way back to the house and left Jacob and Sam to deal with the confrontation between Lydia and Paul.

"Jake, take your sister back home. Now"

Simultaneously, the two siblings began to argue with Sam; with Jacob arguing that he should be the one who got to deal with Paul for threatening Lydia, and Lydia arguing that she wasn't a fragile child that needed to be protected.

"This isn't up for discussion! Go! Now!"

Grumbling, Jacob forcefully pulled his sister away who did not take well to the instruction. Carefully removing his clothes and leaving them in a pile next to time, Sam letter his inner wolf take control of his body and phased within seconds.

_Why did it have to be her?!_ Paul whined.

_Paul, she's your imprint. You can't treat her like that._

Ignoring his leader, Paul continue to dig at the grass with his paws. He needed a release from the fire-like rage inside of him that always seemed to manifest whenever Lydia was around.

_Why her? Anyone else but her.._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello :) Thank you to those of you who have reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Enjoy your update and please review. Reviews make me happy and make me feel like I'm doing a good job. xxx**

"I couldn't give a damn about Lydia Black." Paul declared adamantly.

Beside him, Jared let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head in disbelief.

"Mate, you can deny it all you want, but you care."

"You're out of your mind if you think I could care about that… that… woman for even a minute."

Slamming close the door to the refrigerator, Paul opened the bottle of beer and quickly consumed it in one go. He tried his best to ignore the smirk that was plastered on his best-friend's face but his anger quickly got the better of him. Smacking Jared across the back of the head, Paul felt a sense of smug self-satisfaction as Jared yelped out in pain.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Telling lies. Didn't your mother ever tell you it was bad to lie." Paul replied with a smirk.

"Hey, my mother is a good woman. She looks after your ass doesn't she? Besides, it's not a lie."

"Jared, I swear, you had better shut up."

"Ooooh, getting a bit defensive there, Paulie." teased Jared.

Now sitting on the sofa in his tiny, but rather homely, living room, Paul shot his friend a glare as he watched him prance about with glee.

"Paul and Lydia, sitting in a tree…"

"Shut up."

"K - I - S - S - I - N - G…"

"I mean it, Jared."

"First comes love…"

"One more word."

"Second comes m-"

Jumping up, Paul was on Jared in seconds. Grabbing the young man by the collar of his shirt, he dragged his friend towards the door; all the while, Jared continued to chant the rhyme.

"Get out of my house."

"No need to be so mean, Paul." laughed Jared.

Throwing Jared through the door, Paul looked on as he tumbled to the ground but continued to smile and laugh. Jared carried on grinning even as Paul slammed the door on him and disappeared from sight. From behind him, Jared heard a voice call out to him and he rose from the ground; dusting off the dirt from his jeans.

"What was that about?" Embry quizzed.

With a light chuckle, Jared turned to face his fellow Pack member.

"Lydia."

"Jesus, those two hate each other."

"Nah…" replied Jared, greeting Embry with a playful punch to the arm.

"Are you blind? I thought Paul was going to kill her yesterday."

"He doesn't hate her. He just thinks he does."

Shaking his head furiously, Embry began to walk away; forcing Jared to go after him.

"What?" asked Jared.

"You're bloody deluded if you think Lydia and Paul don't hate each other. I've lost count of how many fights they've had."

"Think about it, Embry. If Paul really hated her, he wouldn't have thought twice about hurting her yesterday. He wouldn't have even gone to her party in the first place."

"One, Sam ordered him to go and two, that was Paul's wolf. Not Paul. His wolf wouldn't hurt his imprint. Paul, on the other hand…"

"Since when has Paul ever done anything Sam tells him to?" Jared pointed out; feeling slightly satisfied when he realised that Embry saw that he had made a valid point.

For a second, Embry stopped walking. He contemplated Jared's words but quickly dismissed them. He had known Paul and Lydia far too long and he would bet his life that the two of them would never end up together. The Gods had clearly screwed up choosing to make Lydia Paul's imprint.

"It doesn't matter. You're still wrong. Those two will kill each other first before they ever care for the other."

"Don't count on it, Embry. I have a feeling things will change." replied Jared with a grin.

* * *

"Please! It'll be fun!"

"No."

"Oh, come on! Pretty please!"

"It's still a 'no."

"Lydia, please." whined Kim.

Rubbing her temples, Lydia tried desperately to ignore Kim's pleas as she incessantly begged her to join in with her plans to go down to First Beach. The last thing she wanted was to have another encounter with Paul. They had managed to avoid one another for two weeks following their last meeting, but Lydia did not revel in the idea of seeing him again any time soon.

"Kim-"

"Please! It won't be the same if you don't come. I'll be there, and Emily and Bella. All the boys will be there and -"

"Exactly. All the boys will be there. Meaning Paul will be there and I would rather tear out my own eyes than spend time with him."

Sighing, Kim began to give up hope. She struggled to understand how Paul and Lydia could despise each other so much when they were made for one another. Being an imprint herself, Kim couldn't imagine ever hating Jared or being separated from him. So, it puzzled her greatly how Paul and Lydia managed to be apart from one another each and every day and feel no suffering.

"You won't have to spend time with him. You won't even have to speak to him. I promise. Just come down to the beach. We're going to go cliff diving and you know how much you love cliff diving."

A small smile finally appeared on Lydia's face and a similar one appeared on Kim's. The promise of cliff diving, Kim knew, would lure Lydia out of her house and down to the beach with her friends.

"Fine." Lydia relented, still smiling. "But you so owe for me this."

It was already mid afternoon when, half an hour later, with her bikini hidden safely under the cover of her jeans and leopard print jumper, Lydia found herself walking down First Beach with Kim and towards her friends. Sat around on a large tartan blanket, Emily and Bella were deep in conversation, whilst Sam, Embry, Jared, Jacob and Quil were to one side throwing a football around.

With a sigh of relief, Lydia started to relax when she noticed that Paul was no-where to be seen and with great excitement, she plonked herself down next to Bella whilst Kim took a seat next to Emily.

"Where's Leah and Seth?" Lydia asked Emily.

"Sam's got them on patrol."

Ignoring the cold from the sudden gust of wind, Lydia brushed the sand from her legs and watched on at the boys as they continued to play football; laughing when her brother tackled Quil to the ground who proceeded to whine like a small child.

"He cheated!"

"Suck it up, Quil." Sam laughed.

Laughing away, Lydia continued to watch the game unfold until a comment from the girls sat next to her caught her attention.

"How are things with Jake?" Kim asked Bella.

"They're good." she answered back, smiling.

At twenty-one years old, Bella was two years older than Jacob. They had been friends for a number of years, ever since Bella had moved back to Forks to live with her father, and Jacob had been infatuated with her ever since. Although it had taken them some time to get together, due to Bella's romance with a vampire that ended rather swiftly, the two had become inseparable since they had begun dating two years before.

Their romance had caused quite a stir among some of the residents of Forks and La Push, due to the fact that Jacob was only seventeen when the two had become a couple. But to those who knew them well, the small age difference was of no matter. Jacob and Bella were happy together.

"You two should be married by now." joked Emily.

Noticing the way Bella's face paled, Emily felt worry and guilt fill her up. Had she somehow caused some offence without realising it?

"Bella, are you alright?" questioned Kim.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just… I really love Jake but…"

"But what?"

"What if… he imprints on someone else?"

Placing an arm around Bella, Emily gave the young woman what she hoped was a comforting hug.

"Oh, sweetie. Jake is crazy about you."

"Sam was in love with Leah before he imprinted on you."

In that moment, Emily lost all words. Bella's tone was not malicious. It was just a fact. Sam had indeed been in love with Leah before Emily had arrived and he had imprinted on her. It had turned Leah into a bitter woman who kept almost everyone at arms length, and it was Emily's biggest regret that she had hurt her cousin due to love.

"I'm sorry." Bella mumbled.

"No, you're right. Sam did love Leah. But imprinting is rare. Only Sam and Jared have imprinted… and -"

"Paul." Lydia stated; finishing Emily's sentence for her. "Don't worry, Bella, imprinting isn't all it's cracked up to be. You're lucky. You can leave whenever you want."

The three girls stared at Lydia with almost dumbfounded expressions on their faces. It was no secret that Lydia would give anything not to be imprinted on. She had made it extremely clear from the day the Elders had revealed everything to her three years before.

"You know, imprinting isn't a bad thing. Look at me and Jared. I would be lost without him. He's so sweet and caring and -"

"Well, congratulations to you. You got a wolf who actually cares about you. I got imprinted on by a bad tempered man-whore who would gladly push me off a bridge if it meant he could get away with it."

"Paul's not that bad." argued Kim.

With one look, Lydia shot down Kim's defending arguments. Lydia hated the way she acted every time Paul's name was mentioned. It turned her into a person consumed by anger and bitterness. Deep down, she knew that Paul had, had absolutely no control over imprinting on her but she needed someone to blame. Paul had been the obvious choice. There was no-one else she could blame.

"Speak of the devil." Lydia mumbled under her breath when she noticed Paul walking down the beach and towards the other Pack members.

She watched as he happily greeted the others and joined in on their game of football. As the minutes ticked by, and Bella, Kim and Emily went back to their discussions, Lydia found herself unable to tear her eyes away from Paul.

He was rude, bad-mannered, had a temper that blew that like violate dynamite and had more arrogance than was needed, but Lydia couldn't deny that he was a beautiful specimen of a man. His skin, the same tanned colour as hers, always seemed to blaze and stretch under his impressive muscles. At six foot, five inches, he had the presence of a large building but it was his face that Lydia admired the most. Strong jaw muscles, hazel brown eyes and cropped black hair. He was beautiful… but he was also a jerk.

She figured that, that's what made her hate him even more. She despised how rough, rude and uncaring he was around her and she hated how she would sometimes catch herself wishing she could touch him; just to see how he would feel.

"Yo, Lydia! There's no need to stare. I already know how drop-dead gorgeous I am." Quil shouted, snapping Lydia from her private thoughts.

Staring at her, Quil winked playfully and laughed when he saw Lydia blush lightly and roll her eyes at him. Although he held no romantic feelings or desires towards Lydia, he enjoyed teasing the young woman.

"In your dreams, Quil." retorted Lydia with a laugh.

"Always, babe."

Turning his attention back to the other boys, Quil acted with fake ignorance when he saw Jacob glaring at him.

"What?"

"Stop flirting with my sister."

"I can't help it if I'm so damn hot she can't keep her eyes off me." he joked. "I'm just a babe magnet."

Ignoring the annoyance that was building up inside of him, Jake threw the football he was holding in his hands to Jared who caught it easily.

"Yeah, that's why you're still single, isn't it." quipped Embry.

"Low blow."

"Just telling the truth, mate."

Throwing the football over in Sam's direction, Jared couldn't help but add to the conversation. He had noticed Lydia watching them; or more specifically, watching Paul. It only served to add to his suspicions that underneath their tough, hateful exteriors and words, Lydia and Paul were indeed feeling the imprint pull.

"She wasn't staring at you. She was staring at Paul."

"Knock it off, Jared."

"You know I'm right."

"Jay, I'm warning you."

"Knock it off, the both of you." Sam stated firmly, knowing how prone Paul was to turning angry quickly.

Declaring the game to be over, Sam ordered everyone to disband. The guys headed straight for the four guys, with Jared placing a light kiss on Kim's lips and Jacob pulling Bella up and into a hug. The wind had started to pick up and Sam announced that cliff diving would take place immediately, before the weather turned nasty and would prevent them from doing so.

Stripping down, each girl was soon down to their swimsuits and each guy remained only in their denim cut-offs. Lydia quickly began to shiver from the cold, blustery wind but ignored it as she followed the others towards the cliffs.

In front of her, she could see Jared with his arm around Kim's shoulders and laughing quietly as they spoke to one another. Sam and Jacob led the Pack followed by Quil and Embry who were playfully shoving each other. She could hear Emily and Bella chatting away to one another, somewhere behind her, as they discussed their upcoming Halloween plans. It took her a minute to realise that she had no idea where Paul was.

Her time to ponder upon this, however, was cut short when her foot caught the edge of a loose rock. Losing her balance, the ground came ever closer into view as she started to fall forwards. She braced herself for the pain that would come from the impact.

It happened within the blink of eye. One second, Lydia was in front of him, following the rest of the group and the next, she was tumbling and heading straight for the hard, rocky ground. His brain told him that he wanted her to fall. He would enjoy seeing her getting a little hurt after all the trouble she caused him. He had no intention of saving her.

_**Save her!**_

Letting his wolf instincts take over, Paul reached out with both hands and caught Lydia before she fell completely. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her straight back up so her back was pressed tightly against his chest. Her head barely reached the upper part of his chest and she felt thin and fragile in his arms.

Shocked that Paul had actively saved her from getting hurt, Lydia let Paul continue to hold on to her for a few seconds longer than was necessary. The supernatural heat from his body burned her skin and protected her from the October wind.

_**Our imprint. **_

Letting go of Lydia, Paul stalked off away from her and quickly caught up to Quil and Embry. It took only a a small number of minutes for the group to eventually reach their destination. They stopped half way up the cliff; choosing to jump from a lower edge due to the presence of the girls who were not as strong or able swimmers as the Pack members.

"I call dibs on jumping first!" Quil yelled as he ran forward and made a dive off the cliff.

His yelp of joy could be heard clearly until a loud splash indicated that he had hit the water. Following suit, Sam gently grabbed a hold of Emily and the two ran over the edge. Copying the couple, Jacob and Bella clasped hands and grinned lovingly at each other as they made their jump.

"Are you ready, baby?" Jared directed towards Kim, lifting her up into his arms.

"Go for it."

Paul did not miss the wink Jared sent his way or the smirk that was plastered on his face, and he made a mental note to beat his best-friend's ass the first got he got. He resented Jared's ridiculous notion that he cared for Lydia. Yes, he had saved her from falling but that had been his wolf. His wolf recognised Lydia as his imprint. Not Paul.

Surging ahead, Paul felt the ground leave his feet and he fell through the air at a great speed. The world around him rushed by and the surge of adrenaline through his body made him feel roar and alive.

"Want a hand?" Embry asked Lydia, offering her his hand.

Nodding gratefully, Lydia took Embry's hand in hers and the two beamed with excitement as they launched themselves from the cliff ledge and into the open air. The crash into the water was hard and the iciness of the water shocked Lydia's body to the core. She felt Embry's warm hand leave hers and saw him swim ahead through the water.

Making to go after him and join the others on the beach, Lydia kicked out with her legs and began to swim when a giant wave hit her and pulled her back under.

"That was so much fun!" Bella half-screamed; standing in Jacob's arms to keep herself warm.

"I'll never get bored of that." laughed Sam.

The group stood together, laughing and joking, drying off as best they could. It was two minutes before Paul started to feel that something wasn't quite right. There was a nagging sensation in the pit of his stomach; a suspicion that something had gone awry. Looking around, he scouted the faces of the group members.

"Where's Lydia?" he asked.

"What?" one of the voices replied.

"Lydia. Where is she?"

A flame of panic quickly set in among the group.

"Embry! You jumped with her. Where is she?" Jacob yelled.

"I- I don't know. We jumped and she was with me when I hit the water."

"Then what?!"

"Then - I- I let go of her hand. I thought she was right behind me."

It was as if an explosion had gone off. Suddenly, his body was bursting with a level of adrenaline and panic he had never experienced before in his life. His legs carried him down the wet, sandy beach and towards the edge of the water. One over-riding thought compelled him further and further.

_**Save her!**_his wolf whined. _**Save her! Faster! She could be dead!**_

Throwing himself into the icy cold, grey water, Paul fought with great effort against the waves that kept crashing down on him without any mercy. He was covered neck deep in sea water when he saw her; her body struggling to stay above water. It took him less than a minute to reach and the second he did, he pulled her tight against him and turned back round. Meeting him half way, Paul was welcomed by a frantic Jacob who had swum out to help rescue his sister.

"Paul!"

Paul did not respond. He just kept on swimming, past Jacob, and heading for dry land. The very instant he was able to walk instead of swim, he lifted Lydia into his arms.

"Jesus Christ! Is she okay?!" Emily asked with tear-filled eyes.

"I am so sorry. I thought she'd be fine. She's always been fine before." cried Embry, stuttering over his words as worry consumed him.

Laying Lydia down on the sand, Paul placed his ear near to her mouth in the hope that he would be able to hear her breathing. Inside of his head, he could hear his wolf screaming; hoping and pleading for Lydia to still be living.

To his great relief, he heard a breath escape Lydia's open mouth. He observed her chest carefully as it rose and fell at a slow, steady pace. Lifting her head onto his knees, Paul gently shook her. A small trickle of water escaped from the corner of her mouth and a loud cough followed.

"Lee!" Jacob shouted as he finally exited the water and skidded down onto the sand next to his sister.

Attempting to pull her away from Paul so that he could check for himself that she was safe and unharmed, Jacob was met with a growl from Paul that startled both himself and Paul. Surprised by the unnatural reaction from Paul, Sam took a step forward and took charge of the situation.

"Jake, take her home. Make sure she sees a doctor. Embry and Quil, go take over Patrols. Jared, take Kim and Bella back to the house with Emily."

Going their separate ways, Sam waited until everyone was out of ear shot before addressing Paul who was still kneeling in the same spot.

"Are you okay?"

"It was my wolf. I didn't have any control."

"She's your imprint." Sam stated simply.

"He knew she wasn't there. He knew she was in trouble. The second I saw her there… he took over."

"Paul, it's okay. I know Lydia isn't your favourite person but your wolf needs to protect her."

"She infuriates me."

"I know."

"Will it always be like this?"

"I don't know, Paul. I really don't."


	3. Chapter 3

**sorry for the long wait! Enjoy this long chapter my lovelies :) and don't forget to review!**

**Thank you to all of you who favourited, followed and reviewed on the last chapter. You are total babes! **

The light that shone through the curtains was dim. Through the small gap that allowed the light to enter into her room, Lydia could see the heavy sheet of rain that was coming down outside; each drop splattering loudly against the window.

With each droplet of rain that painted the glass, Lydia felt the banging inside of her head grow more piercing. Her lungs burned like raging fire as she breathed in and out. For a long moment, she wondered why her limbs ached as she stretched out her slender body as she lay in bed. Then she remembered.

The memories were fleeting; like watching a mirage of images that flew by in super quick motion. But she remembered. Lifting her hand to the side of her head, she hissed in immense pain when her fingers made contact with her skull and the large lump and cut that were to be found there.

Gently removing her hand, so as not to cause herself any further injury, Lydia remained stationary in bed, listening to the sound of the rain and cursing herself for having let such an accident happen to her whilst cliff-diving.

* * *

"Yo, Paul. Open up, man!" Jared shouted, as he banged gently on the peeling red paint of the door to Paul's home.

From his position outside, Jared heard nothing but silence. He waited half a minute more before knocking again; a quiet shuffling noise and the sound of high volume cussing coming from inside of the house.

Ripping open the door, Paul bent down to tend to his wounded knee; rubbing at the grazed skin on his shin. He knew that he no real reason to be so concerned with such a minor injury. Already his supernatural healing properties had become to take effect and the skin was knitting itself back together; a small dot of partially dried blood the only sign that any harm had come to him.

With a crinkled brow, Paul diverted his attention from his leg to Jared. The beaming grin and mischievous glint in the hazel brown eyes of his best-friend told Paul all that he needed to know, and an unmistakable groan slipped its way through his lips.

"What do you want?"  
"Good morning to you too." Jared quipped, breezing past Paul and heading straight for the kitchen.

Sighing, Paul shut the door and immediately followed Jared; finding his fellow Pack brother with a mouth full of half-eaten pizza as he leaned so nonchalantly against the fading wood of the counter.

"That was mine." he stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

With a shrug and a smile, Jared swallowed the pizza and wiped his hands on the denim of his black jeans.

"And it was delicious."

With a roll of his eyes, Paul suppressed a small smile.

"So what have I done to deserve you waking me up and stealing my food?"  
"Friendly visit?"  
"Jared."  
"I swear! Can't a guy just want to check up on his best pal?… make sure he's okay."  
"Why wouldn't I be okay?"  
"I never said you weren't."  
"You implied it." Paul bit back, advancing slightly on Jared.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Jared let out a breathy sigh and shuffled from one foot to another. It served only to annoy Paul further as the seconds ticked by with a heavy silence filling the small room.

"Paul…"  
"Just spit it out, Jay."  
"Well, what happened with Lydia-"  
"I am in no mood for your bullshit theories today." snapped Paul; who instantly turned his back to Jared and stormed out of the room.

The events of the previous day had left Paul reeling. He felt angry at being a slave to the impulses and whims of his inner wolf. His hatred for Lydia was not such that he would have purposefully allowed her to drown in the icy cold ocean at the edge of the reservation. No, he was not that cruel. Yet, he despised the fact that his wolf had taken control of his body all of because of the imprint bond. Most of all, he hated the feeling of weakness and vulnerability that had accompanied it when his wolf had honestly believed he had lost his imprint to the jaws of death.

Chasing after his friend, Jared reached him within seconds. He watched in reluctant silence as Paul threw himself down on the threadbare armchair that sat in the corner of the medium-sized room.

"Paul-"  
"Will you just go away?" Paul half-pleaded with an exasperated sigh.  
"No. How about you just listen to me for one goddamn minute, instead of acting like a complete ass!"  
"I mean it, Jared. I am in-"  
"No mood." said Jared, finishing Paul's sentence for him. "Yes, I know, but hear me out, okay? It's been three years. I'm not saying you have to marry the girl; you don't even have to date her. But you can't deny that you feel something for her. You saved her."

Rubbing his temples with the heels of his hands, Paul felt the edges of his short, jet black hair brush against the skin on his hands. He swallowed once. Then again. He took a deep breath and held it for a number of seconds before exhaling through his nostrils. It did little to sate his increasing anger.

"I only saved her because my wolf made me."  
"I saw the way you growled at Jacob. That was more than just some instinct."  
"Why are you so concerned about me and Lydia?" questioned Paul. "Why now?"

Sitting himself down on the edge of the coffee table that stood just meters away from the chair Paul had positioned himself in, and being careful not to disturb the empty cans of soda that littered the wooden table, Jared rubbed his hands on his jeans.

It was true that Jared had hardly ever called Paul out on his poor treatment of Lydia and his dismissal of the 'mismatched' imprint ever since it had occurred three years before. Just like most of the Pack and the volatile man himself, Jared had honestly believed that the Gods had made a mistake of massive proportions when Paul had found himself imprinting on Lydia Black; the two couldn't have hated each other more.

Yet, as the years passed by in a haze of vampires and new relationships, Jared had begun to disapprove of the way in which his best-friend constantly antagonized Lydia; the insults, the negative attitude, the times he would deliberately do things just to provoke a reaction out of the young woman. An imprint was special; something to be revered. Paul's actions went against the very nature of the bond.

Paul was not an inherently bad man. His friendship with Paul had begun in early childhood and Jared knew him better than any other person on the reservation. The young man was just misunderstood and troubled. Still, even as his closest friend, Jared was acutely aware of the urgent fact that Paul needed to change his ways before he completely pushed away the one person who, in Jared's opinion, was the perfect match for him.

"Because she's your imprint and because, well, to be honest… Paul, that girl is bloody perfect for you."  
"Perfect? Are you insane?" Paul laughed sarcastically; believing his friend had finally lost his mind. "Lydia Black is a pain in my ass. She's bossy, snobby, she acts all high and mighty, and not to mention the fact that she blames me for everything that goes wrong! I never asked to imprint on her but my god, does she never let me forget how it ruined her life!"

By now, Paul had vacated his spot in the armchair and was now pacing up and down the room in front of Jared; his voice booming out as he unleashed his pent up anger and his hands gripping at his hair in frustration.

"She's angry. Can you blame her? She didn't ask for any of this either."  
"So, that gives her the right to blame me?!"  
"No, of course it doesn't. Listen, all I'm saying is that being nicer to Lydia wouldn't be the end of the world. Like it or not, she really is perfect for you."

A snort of disagreement left Paul's mouth and caused Jared to stand firmly in front of his best-friend and glare at him sternly.

"Lydia doesn't take any of your shit. She isn't any of those skanks you sleep around with. She could have gone running when your hot-headed, dick-self imprinted on her but she didn't… And to be quite honest, mate, I'm sick of the constant bickering between you two. We all are. So, man up. You're wolf needs to protect her and you can't keep LaPush safe if your wolf is distracted because you're being stubborn."

Jared's words had hit a particular sore spot within Paul and the rage that had boiled up inside of him was begging to be released. He was moments away from giving into his urge to punch the face that belonged to his friend, when the sound of a knocking at the door tore his attention away from Jared.

Surging towards the door, Paul pulled it open and, to his dismay, found none other than Lydia Black standing before him. She barely reached the top of his chest in height but the small cuts that graced her face, neck and lower arms made her suddenly seem much smaller and vulnerable to Paul. Her dark brown eyes were tinged with nerves and she chewed lightly on her bottom lip.

Inside of his chest, Paul felt a pang of emotion. Of what, he was not sure. But he quickly dismissed it and inwardly cursed his wolf for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Fixing his features into a scowl, Paul addressed Lydia.

"What are you doing here?"

Lydia scolded herself. She should have known better than to expect anything other than an unpleasant greeting from Paul. She had somehow fooled herself into thinking that he was a decent human being after finding out, earlier that morning, that Paul had been the one to save her from the icy depths of the sea.

Folding her arms defensively over her chest, Lydia rolled her eyes and glared back at Paul. Her head was already beginning to pound again and she could feel the pain pinching at her temples and behind her eyes.

"I came to thank you, but clearly it's wasted on a Neanderthal like you."

Ignoring the insult, Paul silently reminded himself to remain calm; knowing that Jared would only use any negative behaviour to further his point. The last thing Paul wanted was to receive yet another lecture.

"Thank me for what?"

Lydia grit her teeth and wondered whether Paul was being so ignorant on purpose. Deciding to avoid any further arguing, she swallowed the sarcastic remark that was sitting on the tip of her tongue and stared straight into Paul's eyes.

"For saving my life."  
"It was nothing."

A long pause filled the air between them. It dragged out and with each second that passed, become more and more awkward. Lydia hopped from one foot to the other but kept her arms crossed; feeling safer with the barrier between herself and Paul. She swallowed once. Twice. Each one filled with dry air.

"Look, I know you don't like me very much and to be honest, I think you're a bit of an ass… but you saved me. So, thank you, Paul. I mean it."

The sincerity in Lydia's voice surprised Paul and he remained frozen on the spot, his hand still gripping the wooden edge of the door. He noticed the way Lydia's eyes flit quickly away from his and back again.

"Uh…"

From inside the house, Jared could hear every word that was being passed between the two, and he shook his head in partial defeat as he watched Paul begin to flail and flounder upon hearing Lydia's grateful thanks for saving her life the day before. Never, in the entire time Jared had known Paul, had he seen the young man so completely lost for words. The situation brought such a smile to Jared's face that he could not help but laugh.

Jumping up, he crossed the room in just a few, long strides and made his presence known to Paul by slapping his hand firmly on his broad shoulder; causing Paul to jolt slightly.

"What Paul means to say is 'you're welcome, Lydia'. Don't you, Paul?"  
"Uh…"  
"And that he's sorry for being such a dick to you all the time."

Jared's wide grin and mischievous eyes were infectious and teamed with Paul's dumbstruck expression, Lydia found herself a slave to her instinct to laugh as she took in the sight before her.

"Hey, Lee.." Jared began, pushing past Paul and slinging his arm around Lydia's shoulder and leading her away from Paul and down the porch steps. "I could actually use your help with something."

Still unable to speak, Paul watched Jared guide Lydia quickly away from his house; their easy laughter filling the air and reaching his ears long until they had completely disappeared from view.

* * *

It was just under a week later and Lydia smiled to herself as she pulled on her little black dress and matching heels. The entire Pack had chosen to take a rare night off from Patrols and it had been decided that a trip to Port Angeles's most desirable clubs was in order.

"You're not going out dressed like that, are you?" Jacob questioned his sister; taking in her attire and the way it showed more skin than he would have liked.

The last thing Jacob wanted was for guys to be all over his sister. With a roll of her eyes, Lydia grabbed her purse from the counter kitchen counter.

"Why, yes, Jake, I am. Have a got a problem with what I'm wearing?"  
"You look like-" protested Jacob before he was cut off by an advancing Lydia.  
"Like what, Jacob?" challenged Lydia with her hands on her hips and her eyes glaring into her brother's.  
"Like… like you want guys to stare at you."  
"Well, that is the idea, little brother."  
"But-"  
"Jake, I am twenty years old. My life revolves around school and you bloody wolves. Forgive me for wanting some normalcy in my life."  
"What's wrong with your life?"

A snort was Lydia's reply as she did not dare dignify her brother's question with an answer. True, her life was not terrible by any stretch of the imagination. It was just not what she had ever imagined it would be like. There were times when she envied her older sister, Rachel, and the fact that she had been able to move away from LaPush. For a brief second, as she made her exit from her home, she wished that Paul had imprinted on her sister instead.

* * *

"Hello there, gorgeous."

The sound of the mystery blonde woman's sweet voice jingled in Paul's ear as she pressed her lips to the side of his face. The brush of her soft, flowery smelling locks against his skin and the sight of her curves and long legs in her strapless red dress, sent a wave of crazed lust through Paul.

Grinning at the thought of taking the young woman home and burying himself deep inside of her, Paul turned to face the woman properly; having to look down at her due to the considerable height difference. The sultry look in the stranger's eyes told Paul all he needed to know. With a body like his, it was no surprise to him that she found him attractive. In the years since he had first phased, Paul had lost count of the number of his female conquests.

"Hi, there." he whispered into the woman's ear; smirking when he felt her shiver.  
"Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely good-looking?"  
"All the time."

A short laugh escaped the woman and she fluttered her eyelids at Paul; her hand finding its way onto the rippling muscle of his bicep. The small touch was enough to fill Paul's teenage brain with a multitude of sinful images involving the blonde goddess that stood before him. Each one made him yearn to leave the bar as quickly as possible.

"Well… how about you take me home and I'll tell you all night long just how good-looking I think you are."

Excitement began to rise inside Paul and he mentally congratulated himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the silhouette of his imprint coming ever and ever closer until she was in front him; her body replacing that of the blonde woman and her arms wrapping themselves around her neck in an almost affectionate way.

"Hi, baby." Lydia said loud enough for the other to hear.  
"Lee?"

The word left Paul's mouth with an unmistakeable air of confusion to it; a tone that was identically displayed in his face. Lydia stopped for a moment. Whether Paul had realised it or not, he had referred to her by her a nickname; a habit Paul had never conformed to.

Pushing through her thoughts, Lydia tightened her arms that were still wrapped around Paul's neck, stood on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. In an automatic response, Paul's hands clutched at Lydia's waist.

It was like an explosion of the brightest light of unimaginable proportions was going off inside of Paul's mind. He felt his wolf yelp with sheer joy at the contact. From somewhere deep inside the uncharted depths of his soul, Paul could feel a warming sensation begin to thaw his heart.

"Who the hell is this?!" a voice screeched.

The spell was broken just as quickly as it had been cast. Opening her eyes and quickly averting her gaze away from the eyes of the man still holding onto her, Lydia swallowed nervously before standing up to her full height and turning to address the woman who, just minutes before, had been flirting unashamedly with Paul.

"Woo! Go, Lee!" a voice, Lydia recognised immediately to be that of Quil's, shouted from just a few feet away; his face a picture of cheekiness as he held up both thumbs.

Ignoring the urge to laugh at Quil's outburst and the smack around the back of the head he received simultaneously from both her brother and Jared, Lydia focused her attention on the woman whose face had turned an angry shade of red.

"I'm his girlfriend. Who the hell are you?"

In an instant, the face of the woman changed from rage to embarrassment.

"He didn't say he had a girlfriend."

Grabbing her purse from the counter-top of the bar, the woman fumbled with it momentarily before pushing past Lydia and severely smacking Paul's cheek, who continued to stand on the spot, dumbfounded at the situation that had just unfolded before him, before storming away.

A smile of great satisfaction spread across Lydia's face. From behind, Paul finally began to regain his senses and a feeling of irritation and displeasure began to bubble up inside of his broad chest.

With flared nostrils, he wound his fingers around Lydia's upper arm and forcibly spun her around so she was opposite him.

"What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" he seethed.  
"I'm just giving you a little taste of your own medicine."  
"My own medicine? Are you crazy, woman? What the hell happened to the girl who thanked me for saving her ass from drowning?!"  
"Well, I realised, with a little help from Jared, that you will never ever change. So, as grateful as I am to you for not letting me die, nothing is different between us. Plus, it was about time you got some punishment for being a man-whore."  
"Who the hell are you to judge me?! You're just a frigid little bitch."

The words stung with the force of a million tiny paper cuts; each cut insignificant by itself but damaging on a much wider scale as a whole. Ripping her arm out of Paul's hand, Lydia graced Paul with his second slap of the night and ran away from him as fast as her heels would allow her. She did not even bother to wipe away a stray tear that had started to fall down her cheek.

Paul knew that he had crossed a line. He was acutely aware that there was now no longer a line. He had gone so far beyond it, with his hurtful words, that he could no longer see the horizon where the line should be. He had over-stepped the mark and the yelling of his wolf, teamed with the guilt that he was feeling, only served to bring the point home to him.

The memory of the kiss he shared with Lydia was still fresh and he contemplated following her and apologising; an action that was intrinsically out of character for him, but one which he felt was needed.

"Dude, what do you think you're doing treating my sister like that?!" shouted Jacob, shoving Paul.  
"Back off, Black."  
"Seriously, Jake, just leave it." urged Jared, knowing how disastrous it would be for Paul to lose his temper and phase in the middle of the crowded bar.  
"What's going on?" asked Sam, having noticed the heated confrontation between his Pack members.  
"It's nothing, Sam." said Jared.  
"Paul kissed my sister and then called her a bitch!" argued Jacob; ignoring Bella's attempts to calm his anger.

Kicking the stool next to him, Paul heard it crack and fall to the sticky bar floor in pieces.

"I didn't kiss her! She kissed me!"  
"You're lying."

If it were not for the quick reflexes of Jared, Paul would have successfully launched himself at Jacob. Holding back Paul was like trying to keep a raging bull at bay and Jared struggled to keep his best-friend from gaining freedom to fight with Jacob.

"You just can't handle the fact that you're sister chose to kiss me!"  
"Right, that's enough. This night is over. Everybody is leaving. Right now!" he added when he noticed that no-one had moved.

Pulling and pushing Paul away from the others and closer towards the exit of the bar, Jared found comfort in knowing that his friends would ensure Kim returned home safely. Internally, he was cursing himself for meddling in Paul and Lydia's relationship and persuading her to interfere with his best-friend's sexual activities. He had only intended to for Paul to begin to see that Lydia was the girl he truly needed. Not for a single second had Jared believed Lydia would kiss Paul. That had not been part of the plan.

"This is your fault." Paul shouted once finally out of the bar and falling into the throngs of half-drunken people on the street. "Why couldn't you just keep your nose out of my business?!"  
"I'm sorry, alright?"  
"No. It's not alright! Just because you and Sam are happy having an imprint doesn't mean I am. Me and Lydia are not you and Kim! We're fine as we are!"  
"Believe me, I've learned my lesson! I'll keep out of it from now on."  
"Good."

It was nearly a minute later, as they began their long walk back to the reservation, that Jared spoke again.

"Just for the record, I never told her to kiss you. I never even suggested it."

Paul remained silent. A feature of the imprint was that the would be whatever the imprint needed him to be - a brother, a friend, a protector… a lover. Anything. Paul had never been Lydia's lover because she had never wanted nor needed him to be, and Paul had never wanted to be.

Now, however, Paul wondered just what it was Lydia needed him to be.

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry guys, my job is literally taking up all of my time. Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter.**

**A big thank you to everyone who reviewed. They make my day knowing what you think so please keep them coming :)**

**As always, I do not own Twilight. Just my OCs and storyline. xxx**

An image of Lydia's face floated through Paul's mind as he patrolled the border of La Push; his large wolf paws treading on rain-covered, muddy leaves as droplets of icy rain soaked his fur. No matter how hard he tried, he could not rid himself of the sight of Lydia's crest-fallen face as he remembered how he had destroyed her self-worth with his cruel words.

Her face haunted him everywhere he went. In the privacy of his own home he allowed himself the luxury to ponder on his thoughts and actions related to his unwilling imprint, but when in the company of others he did no such thing. Paul detested weakness and he thoroughly believed that showing remorse for his wrong-doing would only portray him in a weak light.

However, as the days had passed, all of his attempts to keep Lydia off his mind had failed on more occasions than Paul was pleased with. With the added complication of the 'Pack mind', Paul was feeling ever frustrated with each and every day that came into existence.

_Seriously, man, you're killing me._ whined Jared.

Despite being miles away from one another as they patrolled separate areas of the border, Paul heard Jared's voice crystal clear within his head; so clear he could have been standing right next to him speaking in human form.

_This self-pity thing needs to stop. It's driving me mad!_

Rolling his eyes, Paul ignored Jared's words and focused heavily on keeping his mind off of Lydia. His attempts, though, were meaningless and soon enough - sooner than Paul would have liked - the girl who infuriated him like no other was once again the object of his thoughts.

_Paul! _

_What?_ Paul replied.

_Quit it with the wallowing already. If you feel that bad, just go and apologise._

_Shut up, Jay. This is all your fault, anyway… you go and apologise. _He huffed.

_Jeez, let it go! I'm an ass, I know. But I didn't make you say those things to her and I never made her kiss you. Clearly, she likes you if-_

_She was doing it because she knew it would piss me off. Mission accomplished._

_So, you're telling me you didn't feel anything? Not even a little bit?_

Before he could prevent himself from doing so, Paul felt his mind slip back into the memory of the kiss; the sparkling light that burst through his mind and body as his and Lydia's lips had met became real once more.

Within the exact instant in which Paul realised he had revealed too much a string of profanities were released from him; a list so impressive that Jared was both shocked and in awe of the fact that he believed, had it been possible in wolf form, he would have blushed at the words that came from his best-friend.

_I knew it!_ exclaimed Jared; his voice, echoing in Paul's head, with a combination of glee and smugness.

Anxiety quickly began to surge through Paul and he could feel his large, powerful wolf shape begin to shake excessively. Unable to stop the familiar process of shape-shifting, Paul quickly found himself standing, alone and naked as the day he was born, among the bare branched trees of the forest border.

Stalking towards a tree on his far right, Paul tried desperately to ignore the growing worry that was eating away inside of him. His feeling towards Lydia, whatever they now where, confused him beyond belief and he was adamant that no-one else would discover this development before he had time to understand it.

Pulling on the denim jeans and black t-shirt, Paul continued to walk bare-footed until he was met with the sight of the red-brick houses that were dotted around the reservation. From the market that stood on the corner, Paul knew that he was not far from the house of Billy Black and coming to a halt, he contemplated whether or not to go in search of the advice and understanding he so desperately sought. After all, there was a chance he would come face to face with Lydia; the very woman he had spent all week avoiding.

Scolding himself mentally for displaying cowardice, Paul surged forward and bounded through the twists and turns between the houses until he spotted the familiar orange truck that belonged to none other than Bella Swan; parked outside the Black home as it usually was on most days. Travelling up the steps, Paul stood on the wooden porch and rapped his knuckles on the bright red door.

A giggle sounded through the air and then the door was opened by a smiling Bella Swan, who immediately ceased doing so upon laying eyes on Paul.

"Oh. Hi, Paul."

"Bella." Paul responded, begrudgingly.

"Do you need Jake? I can go get him for you. He's just-"

"No." he interrupted; his body winding up tightly with unbearable tension as each second ticked by.

"I'm here to see Billy, actually."

Surprised by the turn of events, Bella moved aside and welcomed Paul inside; eyeing him carefully as he stood almost statue-still on the edge of the room, only inches away from the front door like he was ready to bolt at any moment.

"I'll… just go get him."

Hurrying away, Bella headed towards the kitchen where she had left Billy just a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Billy, Paul's here."

"Paul? I'm sure he's supposed to be on patrol right now."

"Yeah, he's meant to be but he's here and he wants to speak to you."

Wheeling himself away from the kitchen table, Billy stopped once he was closer to Bella and from his position he could spy Paul, pacing up and down, in the living room. A frown graced Billy's aging face, making his wrinkles appear more prominent.

"Bella, can you tell Jacob I need to him to take Paul's place on patrol. Please." he emphasized when he saw Bella about to argue. "I have a feeling Paul's going to be here a while."

_

"Lydia! Wait up!"

Hearing her name being called, Lydia stopped in her tracks and spun around to see just who it was that was shouting out to her and her eyes made contact with the shining green orbs of none other than Liam Swan; the one and only family member living in Forks, aside from Sheriff Swan, of Jacob's beloved girlfriend, Bella.

Incidentally, he was also one of Lydia's closest friends within the context of her college studies and, with thick, chestnut brown hair that stopped just before his rounded ears, a slim but defined physique, full, soft lips, and a height of just under six feet tall, he was also one of the most good looking men Lydia knew.

"Hey." replied Lydia, giving Liam a smile that matched the own that graced his face. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." he shrugged as they walked together. "Just the usual. How about you?"

"Oh, you know… crazy family, even crazier friends. Nothing too exciting." Lydia mused; deliberately keeping her mind off of the events of the Pack night out days before.

The two friends continued to walk on as throngs of people, dashing around in their busy lives, passed them; snippets of conversation taking place between the two in an easy, relaxed manner that only came with a trusting friendship.

As they approached the exit of the college campus, that was located on the outskirts of Port Angeles, they came to a natural halt. A somewhat nervous laughter seeped from Lydia's lips, and she found herself shuffling from one foot to another as she began to burn under Liam's inquisitive gaze.

"What? Do I have something on my face? Oh god, I have food in my teeth don't I? Why didn't you tell me?!" she began to ramble.

Her worried trailing of babbling speech was cut surprisingly short by the unexpected sensation of a pair of lips attaching themselves to hers; a pair of lips that belonged to the man standing in front of her.

Feeling her eyes widen with the shock, it took Lydia's brain far too long to realise that Liam was kissing her with a sweetness she had never before experienced. His hands invaded her personal space with an intrusion that was not wholly unwanted; one hand resting tenderly but firmly on the curve of her waist, and the other cupping her cheek softly.

In the long seconds that the kiss lasted, a brief flash of an emotion that felt much too similar to guilt barged its way through Lydia's core and into her heart. Accompanying it was her inner mind's illustration of Paul. The memory of the kiss she had shared with Paul - the one she had forced upon him - tugged at her for her sole attention. Where it that had come from, she could not say. She could not give reason to her actions. Her closest estimation was that it came from more than just mere impulse; it was akin to instinct - and acknowledging that terrified Lydia deeply.

Shaking her head, Lydia scolded herself and focused herself on Liam and his soft lips. However, the shaking of her head had broken the spell of the kiss and Liam pulled away with a frown; concerned he had ruined his friendship - and hopes of a romance - with Lydia Black.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that." blurted Liam, dropping his hands away from Lydia immediately.

"Liam."

"Seriously, let's just forget about it, okay?" he stuttered over his words; stalking forward in search of the street where he had parked his car earlier that day and causing Lydia to run after him.

"Liam, just wait."

Wrapping her arm around the black leather jacket that Liam wore, Lydia forced Liam to stop in his tracks.

"I liked it. The kiss, I mean. It was… nice. I was just surprised, that's all." she stated with honesty.

"Oh. Well… good… because I really want to do it again… and again and again."

Closing the small gap that stood between them, Liam stared down at Lydia and sighed heavily; preparing himself to say the words he had been keeping locked up inside of himself for months on end.

"I like you, Lydia. I mean, _really_ like you. You're smart, and funny, and beautiful, and I would be eternally grateful if you would take pity on me and let me escape the friend zone just long enough to prove to you that I'm worth taking a chance on."

Silence expanding outwards into the air, Lydia contemplated her feelings for a moment. Unsure of which course of action she should take, whether the risk to their friendship was too great, and knowing the judgement she would face from the elders due to her unwilling bond with Paul, she struggled to reconcile her heart and mind.

"Lydia-"

"Tomorrow. You can pick me up at 8." she replied with a smile; hoping she would not regret her choice later on.

"You won't regret this, Lydia Black."

"I'd best not, Liam Swan." she answered back, allowing him to kiss her once more.

_

"Why is this happening to me?" Paul half-shouted in frustration, as he packed furiously back and forth across the wooden flooring of the Black's family living room.

"It's all part of the process, Paul. The Spirits chose her-"

"Screw the spirits! What about what I want, huh? I should be able to choose my own goddamn imprint!… I don't even want a bloody imprint!"

Wheeling himself into Paul's path, Billy graced the young, volatile man with a knowing look.

"Paul, I know you didn't just come here to wear down my floorboards and yell about how much you hate your imprint. My daughter, by the way. You'd do well to remember that."

"Sorry, Billy." responded Paul with a breathy sigh; flinging himself down onto the sofa and holding his head in his hands.

"You came here - to me - for a reason. You've never been this worked up about the imprint before so what's changed?"

"I don't know." a mumble belonging to Paul replied.

With a wry smile, Billy faced Paul.

"Has this got anything to do with the kiss you two shared last week?"

"How did you know about that?"

"It's a small community, Paul, people talk. Plus, Jacob came home pretty mad about it." Billy said with a half-smile plastered on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

Running his fingers through his short, black hair, Paul stared Billy straight in the eye.

"I swear I didn't kiss her first. I never even kissed her back."

"So I heard. I also heard you reacted in a rather… explosive way."

Ashamed, Paul lowered his eyes and focused them entirely on the grain of the dark wood floor panels.

"Yeah… Sorry about that. I shouldn't have said those things to her."

"No. You really shouldn't have, but Lydia shouldn't have pulled that stunt. Neither of you are completely innocent in this. Now, how about you just tell me what's bothering you so I can try to help?"

Gulping, Paul strove to find the correct words that would give the clearest explanation to his feelings as of late.

"When she kissed me… it was like… I don't know. It was like everything had fallen into place. Like everything made sense. My mind exploded and my wolf… What does that even mean?! Some messed up shit is going on ever since she kissed me and I can't make it stop, Billy."

Knowing it would be highly inappropriate to laugh in the present situation, Billy settled on a smirk and placed a hand on Paul's shoulder.

"You want to know a secret?"

"Huh? Yeah… sure. Whatever."

"When I first met Lydia's mother, I couldn't stand to be in the same room as her."

"What?" Paul asked; open-mouthed with disbelief; knowing the stories of how truly in love Billy had been with his wife before her death a decade before.

"It's true. She hated me too."

"But, you were married."

"Years later, yes. We'd grown up a lot by then. I'd come to realise that we were good for one another. We learned to look past the things we didn't like and embrace the things we did. Our marriage wasn't perfect but we loved each other. Maybe, this change in you and Lydia is a similar thing. You've both been fighting it for so long, and you and I both know that it's a fine line between love and hate."

"I'm not in love."

"I'm not saying you are. All I'm saying is that something has clearly changed. The Gods chose you for one another for a reason. Instead of fighting of all the time, maybe try listening to what your instincts are telling you. Being friends is always a good place to start."

Dubious, Paul rolled his eyes at Billy but thanked the man nonetheless.

**Review? :) xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**many apologies guys! I have had major writer's block for this story and I have no clue what I'm going to write next either. Hey ho, though, I have a chapter for you. **

**As always, I apologise for any errors and I do not claim to own Twilight or its characters. **

"Quil, chew your food. If I see the inside of your mouth one more time, I'm going to shove my fist so far down it you'll be singing soprano for a month."

"Rude." Quil replied, spraying crumbs from the pie crust in his mouth all over Paul's face.

With a roll of his eyes, Paul suppressed his increasing annoyance at his friend and fellow Pack brother and proceeded to spoon another large forkful of chicken pie into his mouth. Next to him, Jared sat; his plate completely empty and a relaxed smile on his face as he caressed Kim's hand with the pad of his thumb.

The sound of shouting suddenly cut through the light chatter amongst the group of friends and caught the attention of Paul who instantly recognised the voice. Running through the back door and into the spacious diner/kitchen area, Lydia emerged with the face of a determined woman.

"Kimberly!" Lydia yelled; using Kim's full name as she only ever did in times of dire need.

Instantly sitting up straight with alertness, Kim dropped her hand away from Jared's and watched with a combination of worry and curiosity as her best-friend bypassed the boys and Emily and headed for her; stopping short just a few inches away.

"What? Are you okay?!" Kim asked.

"I am freaking the hell out! I have a date tonight and-"

"Wait, you have a date?" Paul interrupted; shutting up instantly as soon as he realised he had unintentionally been listening to Lydia and Kim's short conversation.

Shooting Paul a furious glare, Lydia felt a brief stint of satisfaction when she saw him avert his eyes aware from her and focus solely on eating the remaining remnants of the pie on his plate.

"Who's it with?" Kim questioned, smiling happily at Lydia as the woman paced frantically back and forth.

"Liam."

"Bella's cousin?" Jared injected. "Woah… sorry" he continued; holding his hands in surrender when Kim elbowed him in the side.

Returning her attention back to Lydia, Kim did not see Jared and Paul saw a look of surprise and questioning.

"Lee, that's great!" Kim squealed as she left her seat and enveloped Lydia in an excited hug. "Liam's had a crush of you for ages! He's so kind and sweet and Christ, is he good looking!"

"Oi. Don't mind me." Jared quipped; his voice filled half with annoyance and half with amusement.

"What? He's hot. So sue me." she retorted.

Pouting, Jared rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and began to silently nurse his ego. Seeing Paul smirk at him greatly, Jared kicked his best-friend hard in the shin and grinned himself when the fellow wolf-man grimaced in pain and bit down on his hand to keep from yelling out.

"What do you think about Lydia's date, Paul?" asked Jared; smirking even more as Paul threw him a death glare.

"What's this got to do with Paul?" interjected Lydia with disgust and accusation lacing the undertones of her sweet voice. "He couldn't give a damn about who I date and frankly, I wouldn't care even if he did."

"What she said." Paul replied simply.

"I just thought… since your little chat with Billy yesterday that-"

For a second, there was nothing but pure silence. No-one took a breath and it was so deadly quiet, the atmosphere so heavy-laden with anger, confusion, and betrayal, that a pin drop would have been as thunderous as a grand scale volcanic eruption.

"What. The. Hell. Is. He. Talking. About?" Lydia asked; punctuating each word with a punch of anger.

Her question was directed at no-one other than Paul, but Jared did not seem to get the message as he began to speak again in place of Paul who just continued to stare at his friend dumbfounded.

"Shut up, Jared!" snapped Lydia who found, to her satisfaction, that Jared did exactly as he was told. "Paul."

A low rumble filled the air. It started as equal to an incessant buzzing but quickly grew in level. Bolting up from his seat and standing at full height on his feet, like he had just received an unanticipated jolt of electricity, Paul balled his hands into tight fists; the pressure turning the russet coloured skin of his hands almost white.

The trembles continued to increase and the noise became louder and louder. Standing to their own feet, Jared and Quil glanced at one another in concern - fully aware of how volatile Paul was due to his short temper and even weaker control over it - before they both, simultaneously, broke out into speech.

"Yo, man, calm down! Sam will be pissed if you wreck his kitchen." Quil said, trying to keep Paul's mind as present as possible.

His anxiety levels reaching dizzying heights as his friends bombarded him with advice and snatches of conversation to calm and assure him, Paul found himself wishing with all his might that his body would phase already so he could run away from those around him and give his body and mind a chance to recover.

Imprint. Safety.

Going against his human wishes and instincts, he allowed himself to listen to the beast that raged inside of his soul and instantly felt a sea of serenity begin to cleanse the adrenaline in his veins. The trembles ceasing, Paul stalked towards Lydia and towered over her; catching from his peripheral vision the sight of his fellow Pack brothers moving forward to protect Lydia.

Staring intensely into eyes the shade of tree bark, Paul tightened his lips until them formed a grimace and he felt his eyebrows furrow together as if deep in thought. In response, Lydia crossed her arms across her body and formed a barrier between herself and Paul.

"What did you talk to my dad about?" she said, repeating her previous question.

With a straight face and one devoid of any obvious emotion, Paul moved in as close as possible to Lydia and lowered his lips to her ear.

"Go to hell, Lydia."

Leaning back, Paul smirked but it did not reach his eyes. Feeling rejected in so many various ways, Lydia swung her arm up and around and felt her open palm make contact with the hard, heated flesh of Paul's flesh; his head barely moving an inch despite the force of the impact that which stung painfully for Lydia's hand.

"Screw you, Paul."

"Not even if you were the last woman on earth."

Scoffing, Lydia fled from the room without looking back or speaking another word. She was barely out of the house before Kim rounded on Paul; her eyes ablaze with abhorrence at the young man's actions.

"You are the worst human being I have ever met! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Dragging Kim away, Jared mouthed a silent apology to Paul in the hopes that it would somehow prevent him from phasing inside the house and potentially causing serious harm to those around him.

"Just leave it, babe."

"No! He's such a…"

Paul did not listen to the rest of Kim's enraged ranting as he made a quiet exit from Sam and Emily's shared home. As he stalked down the path, he spied Lydia in the distance. He hated her with a burning passion he had never experienced before but he could not shake the compulsion his wolf seemed to display to protect her. This only proved to add fuel to the fire. Yet, as he stood contemplating his hatred for Lydia Black he could not help but wonder why she had begun to walk in the direction of the forest.

His feet made the decision for him. He made no conscious choice to follow her as she turned numerous corners and travelled through clusters of red brick homes. Even as she delved further and deeper into the thick, scarce forest - its trees devoid of leaves but its ground littered with the rotting remains of foliage - Paul was careful not to approach. Just watching and waiting.

"Sam!" Paul heard Lydia shout out; obviously aware of the border patrol schedule. "Sam!"

Stepping on a twig, the brittle wood snapped easily in half and alerted Lydia to Paul's presence. Spinning around as sheer panic overcame her, Lydia half-sighed with relief when she set eyes on the man. The pounding in her heart, however, did little to reduce itself.

"Jesus Christ! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Why are you calling for Sam?"

"Why are you following me?"

"Why are you calling for Sam?" Paul asked once more, becoming agitated at Lydia's refusal to answer his question on the first go.

Huffing, Lydia ran her fingers through her messy locks and bit her bottom lip slightly in order to suppress another outburst.

"What the hell has it got to do with you? In fact, what has anything I do in my life got to do with you?"

"You're my bloody imprint! I have a fucking right to know!"

"Oh, so now I'm your imprint?! You didn't seem to give a damn about my life when you were telling me to go to hell! Or for the last three years when you were making my life a misery!"

"Just answer the fucking question!"

"Fine! If you must know, I want a way out of this imprint thing once and for all so we can both have the fucking lives we want!"

"Just what the hell is your problem?!"

"You are!" Lydia screamed at the top of her lungs, pushing Paul away from her. "You! I want a life, Paul! I want out of this place. I want to travel and see the world and instead… I'm stuck here with you having my entire life dictated to me! 'Don't do this, Lydia. Don't do that. Be a good little imprint, Lydia'. It goddamn sucks!"

Grabbing Lydia's arms in mid-air as she attempted to shove him further away from her, Paul held them in a vice like grip and loomed over the woman who barely reached the top of his chest.

"You're damn right it does! You think I want to be stuck with a psychotic, whining bitch like you for the rest of my life?! Newsflash, Princess, I don't! you think you've got problems; try being a fucking shape shifting wolf that fights vampires. You think your life is messed up? Imagine having everything change in the space of a day. Imagine finding out everything you've ever known is a fucking lie and then imagine… just for a bloody minute… that you look at someone and instantly feel the world shift beneath your feet. Imagine what it must feel like to have everyone tell you that you're expected to fall in love with someone who has made it very clear that you are nothing but a piece of low-life shit to them!"

Tugging with all the strength she could muster up from inside of her, Lydia tried to free herself but to no avail.

"I never asked for any of this!"

"And neither did I!"

"Then why do you care so much all of a sudden?! Why bother saving me or taking an interest in my love life?!"

"Believe me, sweetheart, I do not want to have a fucking interest in your pathetic excuse for a love life. This is entirely your fault!"

"Mine?! Are you insane?!"

"You kissed me!"

Stunned, Lydia quit her fighting against Paul's grip and stared open-mouthed at him. His chocolate coloured eyes held a combination of emotions; anger, humiliation, fortitude.

"I have zero interest in being your boyfriend. I can't stand you! But when you kissed me something happened and now it won't go away. Some crazy shit is going on with my wolf and nothing I do is stopping it. If you hadn't have kissed me then none of this would be happening!"

"Then take it out on Jared. He made me do it!"

"Bullshit! I talked to Jared and he told me he never gave you the idea! To be quite honest, I don't give a shit about why you kissed me. I just want this to stop. I want to feel normal again. So, until this… feeling… or whatever this thing is… passes, you will do exactly what I tell you. I can't do my job properly if my wolf is distracted worrying about your ass."

"Like hell I will! I am not-"

"It wasn't a fucking request, Lee. It's not up for discussion. Once it passes, you can leave town. Go wherever you like. I won't stop you and I won't let anyone else stop you either. But until then, you will do as I say… whether you like it or not. Is that understood?"

Tightening his fingers around Lydia's arms, Paul glared powerfully at the woman exerting his dominance. Feeling outraged but cornered, Lydia pulled a face of discontent but nevertheless, continued to nod in agreement to Paul's terms.

"Good. First thing's first… your date tonight is cancelled."

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Enjoy, my lovelies :) sorry for the wait!**

**As usual, I only own my OC and story line. **

"What?" Lydia seethed.

"You heard me." Paul replied, remaining tight hold of Lydia as she tried to break free in her rage-infused tantrum.

"No! That's crossing a line, Paul! I'm not cancelling my date with Liam just because you said so."

"Did you not listen to a word I just said or are you being stupid on purpose? You're not going. Your ass is staying on this reservation until I say so. This is about more than just your safety. It's about the entire bloody reservation!"

"I don't care! You can't just take over my life because of one stupid kiss!"

"We had a deal and I expect you to keep it, Lee. If you don't-"

Putting a stop to her attempts to free herself from Paul's clutches, Lydia straightened herself to her full height, raised her chin and stared Paul straight in the eye.

"Then what, huh? You'll punish me?"

Her eyes were alight with irritation and Paul recognised the challenge in her voice. Instantly, his own levels of annoyance rose and he curled his fingers around Lydia's slender wrists even tighter.

"Yes." he said too quickly for Lydia's comfort.

The mere thought scared her. It was plain to see from the concentration and determination on Paul's face that he would be true to his promise. Just what he could do to punish her for her disobedience both frightened and intrigued Lydia. The erratic breaths that escaped Lydia's pink lips caught Paul's full attention and he smirked; enjoying the effect he was having on the woman who had caused him so much trouble over the years.

"Believe me, you do not want to cross me. You won't like what'll happen."

His words were almost a whisper now and the air had turned as thick as smoke. Lydia struggled to swallow enough air to satisfy her screaming lungs, and her brain whirled with faint dizziness whilst Paul continued to smirk wildly despite the fact that the careful action was not reflected in the pools of his eyes.

"Or maybe you would." he concluded, whispering the last four words deep into Lydia's ear canal and causing her to shiver involuntary.

Determined not to fully comply with Paul's requests and become in essence his property, Lydia put aside her primal urges that were beginning surface much to her chagrin and took advantage of Paul's close proximity to raise her knee and ram it forcefully between the centre of his legs.

The yowl of agony that escaped Paul's mouth echoed throughout the forest and he fell back immediately. Grateful for the freedom and clarity that consumed her, Lydia looked down at Paul as he cupped his groin protectively and began to feel a spark of remorse for her violent actions.

"What the hell was that for?" Paul snapped.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are." he replied sarcastically as he breathed deeply and waited for the pain to fade.

"I am!"

"Then what was that for, you psychotic bitch?"

Running her fingers through her tangled hair, Lydia breathed deep and was just about to answer when Sam came crashing through the trees and skidded to an abrupt stop next to her. His naked chest heaved with the effort of breathing and his eyes were wide with panic and concern.

"Lydia?" spoke Sam, surveying the scene before him and questioning internally why the two reluctant, fated lovers were glaring at one another.

Although her brain had registered both his words and presence, Lydia could not bring herself to reply. The remorse she felt at attacking Paul was genuine; she had felt threatened and so had reacted to immobilise the threat. Yet, for some reason which she could not articulate, she was concerned for Paul's well-being.

"Paul? Someone, for God's sake, tell me what is going on!"

With the pain finally subsiding, Paul rose to his feet and stood tall. In spite of his rage, he did not yell nor did he even begin to explain the events to Sam. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Lydia and spoke clearly and firmly.

"You wanted out, Lee, well here's your chance."

"Out of what?" Asked the Pack leader.

Biting her lower lip ever so slightly, Lydia contemplated her options. She wanted nothing more than to be free of Paul. He was the bane of her existence and posed so many problems for her future. It was not her desire for her to become his girlfriend and she was certain that Paul felt exactly the same way.

Turning to face Sam, Lydia shook her head.

"It's nothing, Sam."

"You shouted for me."

"I know… but I'm fine. I don't need you anymore."

Still having not removed his eyes from Lydia, Paul stared at the woman in complete confusion. Her sudden change of heart both intrigued and worried him. This was not the Lydia he had been despising for so many years.

"Lee?" Paul said, puzzled and paying no attention to the presence of his alpha.

"You have a deal, Paul. One month and then I'm free."

Nodding in agreement, Paul smiled as he watched the young woman storm away from him. His brain buzzed with questions but he was satisfied to let Lydia go for the moment.

"Paul?"

"Huh?" Paul said, finally fully registering and acknowledging Sam's presence as they stood together in the middle of the forest.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?"

Shaking his head, Paul shrugged half-heartedly and, in a rare moment, gave Sam a small smirk as he patted him roughly on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Sam."

"Paul…" warned Sam, giving the violate man a look.

"You wanted me to look after my imprint and that's exactly what I'm going to do." he replied, grinning with glee as he imagined the sense of joy he would get from tormenting Lydia, and the freedom he would have once they were no longer bound together.

With a roll of his eyes, Sam turned his back on Paul and phased back into his wolf form. Watching his Alpha leave, Paul's smile finally faded when a voice echoed loud and clear inside of his head.

_**Soul mate **_

* * *

"You should have told me, Dad."

"It wasn't my place to." Billy replied softly as he watched his youngest daughter pace up and down the fading tiles of the kitchen floor.

"Of course it was. You're my dad!"

"Lydia…" Billy started gently, rolling himself closer to the woman who had finally come to a stand-still. "Paul came to me in confidence. I gave him some advice and clearly he is trying to follow it. Cut him some slack. Being friends with Paul really wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to you."

Raising one eyebrow at her father and hating the way his words made sense to her, Lydia sighed with exasperation.

"Besides…" Billy continued with an innocent smile. "Your mother always liked him. She'd want you to be friends with him."

"Oh c'mon. Don't play the 'mom card'. Lydia whined, feeling her defences fall at the mention of her mother.

"I'm just saying is all."

Running her hands through her tangled locks, Lydia huffed in resignation and rolled her eyes.

"Fine… fine. I will try to be friends with him."

"Thank you." Billy replied, smiling triumphantly.

"I said 'try'. He's not the easiest person to get along with, you know."

"Neither are you." muttered Billy so softly that Lydia did not hear him.

"What?"

"Nothing. Anyway, Bella and Charlie are coming over for dinner tonight and I thought I'd make us -"

"Actually, Dad, I have plans tonight."

"Oh?" asked Billy with an inquisitive look.

"Yeah. Kim wants a night off from Jared's insanity and I said I'd keep her company. I completely forgot to tell you."

Frowning ever so slightly, Billy gave his daughter a look that showed his disapproval at her future absence. Still, he knew that his daughter was a grown woman and an independent soul.

"Okay. Just stay safe, okay?"

Kissing her father on his cleanly shaven cheek, Lydia nodded in response. Turning her back on Billy, Lydia sighed and glanced at her watch. Biting her lip, she began to formulate a plan in her mind and ignored the sensation of guilt that had suddenly taken up residence within the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Checking her appearance one last time in the mirror, Lydia fixed a strand of fly-away hair and grabbed her favourite chocolate-brown leather jacket - the one that hugged her curves and kept her snug on the cold autumn days - and threw it on. Tugging on her matching boots, she bounded downstairs and greeted the four people that sat leisurely together in the living room.

In the corner sat Jacob and Bella; their hands clasped together and Bella's head leaning on Jacob's shoulder. On the other side of the room, her father and Bella's father sat deep in conversation. So deep, in fact, that the two men barely looked up as Lydia entered the room.

"You look nice." Bella said sincerely.

"Thanks, Bella." replied Lydia as she grabbed her phone from the inside pocket of her jacket upon hearing its signature message tone.

Remember our deal.

Staring at the phone in her hands in complete shock, it was nearly a full minute before she realised that Jacob had been calling her name.

"Lee!"

"What?"

"You look like you've just seen a ghost. What's up?"

Your ass stays on this reservation.

Another message and another shiver ran through Lydia. The words were on the tip of her tongue but she could not adequately explain just what it was she was feeling.

"Did you give Paul my number?" Lydia asked her brother, concerned as to just how her hot-tempered imprinter had managed to gain her phone number.

"No, why?"

"It's nothing." she replied, shaking her head and searching through her phonebook until she came across the name she was searching for and pressing the 'dial' button.

With one hand pressing the phone to her ear and the other fumbling with the door handle, Lydia shouted her brief goodbyes.

"I'm off to Kim's. See you later."

With a bang of the door, Lydia was gone. Sitting up straight and alert, Bella turned to Jacob who was scratching his head in confusion.

"It's funny… I thought Kim was with Jared tonight…"

Outside, a strong gust of bitterly cold wind hit Lydia and caused her eyes to water. Wiping away the stray moisture, she used her spare arm to hug her body in a feeble attempt to retain some heat. Her feet carried her further and further away from her home and in the direction of the reservations nearest border.

"Hello there, Miss Black."

The sound of Liam's carefree tones vibrated throughout Lydia's ear and her mouth split into a beaming smile.

"Miss Black? It's a bit formal isn't it?" she replied with a laugh.

"Well, I wouldn't want you thinking that chivalry is dead." he answered back with a teasing edge to his voice that only served to deepen Lydia's smile.

"That's assuming chivalry ever existed." Lydia fired back, her mind briefly turning to Paul and his distinct lack of gallantry.

"Well… hurry up and I'll show you how much of a true gentleman I can be."

Speeding up at the promise of Liam's presence, Lydia felt a strange warmth spread through her nether regions as she registered the sexual undertones of her date's words despite the innocence of the words themselves.

The second she spotted him - standing tall even as he leaned casually against the hood of his black pickup truck parked on the outskirts of the reservation - she tucked her phone away into her pocket and gave him her most dazzling smile. She was mere inches away from him, and just about to speak, when Liam pressed his mouth softly to hers and caught her in a kiss so soft and sweet it left her almost dizzy once it finally came to a stop.

"Wow." she breathed.

"I've been wanting to do that since yesterday."

"Mmmm-hmmm." Lydia nodded.

"I couldn't help myself." Liam laughed as he watched Lydia try to regain her composure.

The two stood, for a moment, in complete silence.

"So…" Liam eventually began. "Are you going to tell me why I couldn't pick you up from your house?"

Lydia thought carefully about her answer. Liam, fortunately enough for his own sanity and safety, was unaware about the truth of the Quilette Legends and the existence of vampires. There was no way she could explain about Paul without Liam thinking her a raving lunatic. Nor, she realised, could she explain about Paul without it seeming like he had some hold over her. No, she was not abundant with options.

"My Dad thinks I'm seeing my friend, Kim, tonight."

"Ahh… the old 'lying to your dad and sneaking out' ploy. Really mature." he mocked.

"Oh, shut up." Lydia answered back, smacking Liam gently on the upper arm.

"Wait, isn't your Dad friends with my Uncle? I don't think he'd mind you going on a date with me. After all, my cousin is your brother's girlfriend."

Swallowing, Lydia sighed heavily.

"It's complicated." she admitted.

Noticing the reluctance in her tone of voice and the way her eyes had turned as hard as steel, Liam made the wise decision to change the topic.

"Anyway… I thought movie and dinner? Old-fashioned, I know, but…"

"It sounds great." Lydia said honestly with a smile.

It was hours later; the night sky a deep indigo hue that looked almost black. Stars littered the sky like shining beacons as the car Lydia was travelling in sped down the road. The night had been as close to perfection as she had ever experienced. The movie had had both of them in fits of laughter and the dinner - a classic Italian choice by Liam - was splendid in every sense of the work. Although they had been friends for so long and knew almost everything there was to discover about the other, conversation had flowed endlessly and with ease. Lifting a hand to her face, Lydia enjoyed the way her cheeks ached from smiling and found that even Paul's constant barrage of messages and phone calls for the past two hours hadn't managed to spoil the magical evening.

Speak of the devil, she thought to herself as she felt her phone vibrate and light up like a Christmas tree in the darkened truck. Automatically stabbing the 'reject' button, Lydia groaned with annoyance.

"You're popular tonight." mused Liam with a half-smile.

Within seconds, the phone was glowing and humming with vibration once again and Lydia stared at it in a mixture of disbelief and anger. In the space of twenty-four hours, Paul had gone from not giving a damn about her to bordering on a possessive boyfriend. Screw the deal, she shouted silently to herself, she would just kill him with her bare hands the next time she laid eyes on him. No wolf. No imprint. No problem.

"Maybe you should answer that. It could be important."

"It's not."

Glancing over at the phone, Liam frowned. He had known Lydia a long time and it was obvious something bothering her. Just what, he was not certain but he longed to know.

"It could be."

"It's really not." snapped Lydia, who instantly regretted doing so when Liam fell silent. "Oh, shit! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude."

Patting Lydia's hand gently, Liam gave the young woman a genuine smile and watched her face soften. With relief, Lydia turned her eyes away from Liam's and instantly felt her heart lurch. She screamed out loud and pierced the silent night air with her high-hitting tones.

"Stop the truck!"

Automatically, Liam's foot slammed onto the brake and the pickup truck screeched to halt; stopping only a few feet short of a towering figure that stood in the middle of the road. His presence was something that no-one could ever deny. Even from her seat in the truck, Lydia swore she could the waves of fury washing off of him and barrelling straight towards her and despite the fact that the headlights of the truck shone bright, she did not need their help to know that his eyes would be filled with a icy coldness.

"God damn it!" yelled Liam in shock. "What the hell is that guy standing outside in the middle of the damn road for?! We could've killed him!"

Lydia, however, was not paying attention to the man beside her. Her entire focus was on the one in front of her; his naked torso smeared with a substance that she could not quite identify yet, his relatively short hair sticking out at strange angles, and his fists clenched tightly. Beside her, Liam was still talking.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, worried for her well-being.

Ignoring the question, Lydia unbuckled her seat belt, pushed open the door, and practically flew out of the truck and towards the man.

""FOR FUCK'S SAKE, PAUL! YOU BLOODY IDIOT!"

Racing up to him, Lydia smashed her palms into Paul's chest. She was so angry with him. It raged within her like the unfathomable temperature of lava.

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US!"

Removing her hands from Paul's chest, Lydia lifted one as she subconsciously decided to slap him. Already anticipating her move, Paul twisted his thick fingers around Lydia's slender wrist and stopped her as if she were no more than a mere snow flake in the air that was bothering him.

It was only as she surveyed her wrist within Paul's grasp that it finally dawned on her just what had been smeared over Paul's chest. Panic swarmed her insides.

"You're hurt!"

"Why the fuck didn't you answer your phone?!" Paul snapped, at long last able to get a word in.

"Oh my god. The blood… what happened?! Are you okay?!"

The two stared at each other in complete stillness. It scared Lydia just how concerned she was about Paul and how physically sick she now felt at the thought that he had been hurt badly enough to cause so much blood to be covering his broad chest.

"Lydia, are you o- what's going on?" Liam questioned, having followed Lydia from the truck and worried about the scene that was unfolding before him.

The initial shock of the near accident having now worn off, it was glaringly obvious to him that Lydia was extremely familiar with the young man that stood in front of him; his height beating even Liam's own impressive stature.

The spell now broken, Paul launched into an assault.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through tonight?!"

"The blood…"

"Never mind the fucking blood! We had a deal, Lee! Your ass stays on the reservation and in a month this is all over. You didn't even last one god damn day!"

Still staring at her hand, Lydia was frozen and, noticing this, Paul sighed with exasperation.

"It's not my blood."

This was all it took for Lydia's trance to end.

"Who's is it?!"

"It's Jared's." he said stiffly; the memory of seeing his best-friend almost impaled by a tree branch still fresh in his mind.

"What happened?!"

"We were attacked."

All colour drained from Lydia's face. Vampires.

Before she could ask any further questions, Paul rounded on her again.

"One of them got away onto the reservation. Jared was almost killed because you told your Dad you were with Kim!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You better fucking had be! I was distracted because I didn't know where you were! I didn't do my job properly because of you!"

By now, Paul was beginning to break under the weight of his anger and panic. Not even the shouts of Liam Swan were enough to deter him from his actions.

"I've been out of my fucking mind with worry! All because you didn't even have enough decency to answer your fucking phone! Anything could have happened to you. You have no clue what I've been through trying to find you!"

"I think you should take your hands off her." Liam said with an edge to his voice.

"And I think you should butt out of things that don't concern you." Paul replied through gritted teeth.

"Get your hands off of her." Liam repeated, this time advancing up on Paul.

Knowing that Liam was no match for Paul, Lydia shouted Liam's name and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Don't." she begged. "Paul won't hurt me, you have to believe me."

"He's already hurting you!"

"Please, Liam. You don't understand."

"I understand enough that you're bloody boyfriend here is practically abusing you."

"He's not my boyfriend." Lydia quickly denied; noticing that Paul remained completely silent. "It's complicated, okay. He won't hurt me."

Kicking the ground slightly, Liam half-turned away from Lydia.

"Yeah… apparently a lot of things are 'complicated' tonight."

"Liam!" Lydia shouted after him as she watched her date return to his truck and drive away; leaving her and Paul alone in the darkness.

Ripping her arm from his hand, Lydia tugged on the roots of her hair.

"Now look what you've done! You ruined my date!"

"That's all you care about? Your date? You're unbelievable!"

"You ruined everything!"

"No! You did that all by yourself, Princess. You were the one who went back on our deal. You were the one who lied and snuck out. Not me. Don't blame me for anything."

"God, I hate you!" she screamed directly into Paul's face.

"Hey! I've been busting my ass trying to find you all night!"

"You didn't have to! If I could reject your calls then clearly I was alive! So why bother?!"

The seal finally breaking, the words poured out of Paul's mouth in such quick succession that he could do very little to stop them.

"Because you're my imprint! I was fucking scared that something had happened to you. More scared than I've ever been in my entire life! My best-friend was lying before me, covered in blood, and all I could think about was you!"

Staring at Paul, Lydia breathed out a hefty sigh.

"Is Jared okay?"

"He'll live."

Again, the silence stretched out and the two reluctant lovers found themselves lost for words.

"C'mon." Paul finally beckoned.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I don't fancy standing in the middle of a road all night..."

Looking around, Lydia silently agreed with Paul. Her night had taken a turn for the worse and now all she wanted was for it to end.

"…and I could do with a drink."


	7. Chapter 7

**Once again, sorry for the delay. I really am desperately trying to update all of my stories. I'd love to know what you'd like to see happen to our characters :) **

**As always, I do not own Twilight or its characters. **

Opening the door to the house he had lived in his entire life, Paul walked silently into the large, open room that served as both a living area and kitchen. Heading straight for the aging refrigerator, he opened it and pulled out a bottle of beer; the glow of the machine lighting up his face and highlighting the worry lines that adorned his forehead.

He had drank almost half of the beer in his hand before he finally realised that the room was too quiet. Turning around, he saw Lydia staring in the doorway.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to stand there all night? You're letting the cold in."

Stepping over the threshold, Lydia twisted her head to survey the room. A single, slightly battered sofa was placed in front of a large, low standing coffee table that faced a television set. The room was so dark that any attempt to distinguish furnishing would be meaningless.

"It's not like you can feel it… supernatural freak" She muttered the last half under her breath. It was not filled with malice but Paul heard the distinct tones of anger lace it.

Sighing with the effort of containing his own anger, Paul downed the remaining liquid and placed the bottle onto the counter top. Lydia watched him through squinted eyes and crossed her arms; half in annoyance and half to give herself something to do. Tiredness was quickly beginning to overcome her and she let out a small yawn.

"Why are we here, Paul?" Lydia eventually asked.

"I needed a drink." came the simple reply.

"Yes, but why _here_?" she emphasized; not entirely comfortable to be standing alone in Paul's home with only the bad-tempered wolf for company.

Paul remained mute as he contemplated his answer to Lydia's question. This served only to tip Lydia's annoyance into extreme overdrive and she threw up her hands in complete frustration. She hated how Paul was capable of infuriating her even when he said nothing at all.

"You know what?" she started. "I've had enough of this. You drag me all the way here and can't even be bothered to talk to me properly. I'm sorry about Jared, really I am, but if this is your way of making me feel guilty for what happened then you needn't bother. I feel bad enough as it is. Now, this night has been enough of a disaster. I'm going home before you do something to ruin it even more."

Storming towards the door, Lydia wretched it open. A second later, Paul slammed it shut again and, gripping Lydia's upper arm and twisting his fingers into the roots of her silky black hair, spun her around to face him. His breath came in ragged bursts and warmed Lydia's face. She was scared. She couldn't deny it and although she could not see the emotion within Paul's eyes despite their closeness, she knew that he would be able to detect her fear. The hammering of her heartbeat was a dead giveaway.

He was furious with her. Once again, she had managed to think only of herself and blow everything out of proportion. She was famous for making a scene and there she was, trapped is his hold and all because she had blown up at him again. It seemed that his entire life, for the last three years, had consisted of nothing but Lydia throwing tantrums at him. He just wanted it all to stop. Paul wanted her to keep to her end of the bargain they had struck. Most of all, though, he wanted to kiss her.

With no warning at all, Paul crushed his lips against Lydia's. The kiss was brief but still conveyed power, yearning, and urgency. The shock of the unexpected action caught Lydia off-guard and just as Paul's lips left hers, she let out a squeak of surprise. Paul did not move an inch as he watched Lydia's reaction. Their first kiss had been initiated by Lydia as part of a revenge plan. This kiss, however, was no such thing. It was not revenge but it was not love.

"Why did you do that?!" asked Lydia; half in disbelief and half indignation.

Giving in to his biological desires, Paul pressed his mouth against Lydia's once more and let out a moan of pleasure.

"You drive me crazy, do you know that?" he said. "Fucking crazy."

Removing his hand from around her arm, Paul moved his fingers down until they grazed against Lydia's hip and he gripped both hips with such strength that Lydia let out a small whimper of pain. Still, Paul continued to attack her pink lips with a barrage of rough kisses as he mumbled the truth.

"Always fighting with me… make my life a goddamn misery… hate you so much…"

She couldn't help it. She couldn't stop it. Her body had gone into overdrive and arousal was pooling between her legs at an alarming rate; aggravated even more by the sensation of Paul's lips and day old stubble attacking the nap of her neck, as well as the feeling of his rock-hard erection against her tummy. It rocked her to her core. How could someone who was declaring his hatred for her be so aroused by her?

Her body was screaming out for more. More kisses. More contact. Just more. Yet, her brain was screaming out for it all to end. Lydia struggled with the conflicting emotions. Oblivious to Lydia's struggle and attempting to fight his own, Paul carried on with his assault on Lydia's body. He was so hard it pained him and he could not remember a time when he had been so turned on.

An explanation was beyond him. All he could think about was being buried deep within the woman in his arms and making her scream his name so loud that the entire reservation heard it.

"Why did it have to be you? Of all the bloody women in the world… you make me so angry all the time… why do you hate me so much?"

By now, Lydia's breathing had become so heavy and erratic that she found it hard to stay grounded in reality. She heard her own voice moan out Paul's name and cursed her body's wanton ways.

Within Paul's mind, it was as if a light bulb had gone off. He pulled back so suddenly that Lydia almost fell to her knees. He watched her with such scrutiny that he did not blink once. He wanted to go back to kissing her but he needed answers. He would not give in again to his wolf's impulses and wishes until he had gained the knowledge he was seeking.

"Why do you hate me?"

"What?" Lydia asked, completely dazed.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

""Why did you let me?"

Pushing Paul away from her, Lydia eyed the man warily and with increasing fury. She felt foolish for allowing herself to be seduced by Paul.

"I'm such an idiot!" yelled Lydia. "I never should have come here and I never should have let you touch me! What the hell was I thinking?!"

"No! You don't get to do that! You don't get to dismiss me!" Paul said, his voice thundering throughout the room.

"Well, tough shit. I'm going home."

Tugging at the door handle, Lydia screamed in frustration when Paul placed one hand against the door and prevented it from opening. Leaning her head against the cold wood, she sighed before turning back to face Paul.

"Let me go, Paul."

"Just tell me why you hate me."

"You already know."

"No… there's more to it than just the imprint thing… there has to be."

"Why?! Why does there have to be more? I hate you and you hate me. Simple as."

Closing what little space lay between them, Paul crashed his lips into Lydia's and revelled in the way she automatically began to return his kiss.

"See?" he said simply as he broke the kiss.

"What the hell do you want from me, Paul?!"

"I want to know why you hate me! And don't give me the same crap about the imprint and freedom."

"You want to know why I hate you? It works both way, Paul. I'll answer your questions when you answer mine."

Paul stopped short. It was only fair, that much he would admit to. But he did not have answers to give to her. At least, none he was willing to admit to just yet. It had been less than twelve hours since the fight in the woods but something had changed when he had held Jared's blood covered body in his hands. No, it wasn't love. Yet, he felt tired of the constant arguments. He truly had been out of his mind inconsolable when he had not been able to locate Lydia earlier in the evening.

"You were right." Paul said, standing up straight and moving backwards away from Lydia.

She looked at him with wide eyes; surprised that he admitted fault. However, she was not entirely sure as to what he was referring to exactly.

"There's nothing more to it."

"Paul…" started Lydia, her head spinning from the mass attack of differing emotions she kept on experiencing.

Taking another step backwards, Paul shuffled from one foot to another, ran his fingers through his short, black hair, and avoided Lydia's eyes. Her fought the impulse to smash his lips into hers and ignored the voice inside of her that was screaming at him for the words leaving his mouth.

"We live fucked up lives, Lydia. This imprinting shit is messing with us. I hate you and you hate me and that's the way it will stay. I'm sorry I kissed you. Go home."

He turned away quickly. He could still sense her there; unsure of what she was meant to do. Without so much as a goodbye, Paul heard Lydia leave and the door to his home click shut behind her as the emptiness of the room bore down on him. Standing alone by himself in the centre of the room, Paul breathed in deeply; his lungs taking in as much air as they physically could. Once. Twice. Three times. He kept breathing until the ball of pain inside his chest subsided enough for him to contemplate sleeping.

* * *

"Lydia!"

The familiar, slightly high-pitched tones of her sister's voice filled the air and Lydia snapped her neck around to see her older sister pelting down the pathway with open arms. Grinning from ear to ear, Lydia ran down to meet her and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Rachel! What are you doing here?"

"It's a late birthday present. " Rachel replied, gifting her little sister a smile as they broke apart and walked up into their childhood home together. "I couldn't get the time off work until now."

Thrilled to see her sister, Lydia continued to smile almost manically. Over six months had passed since Rachel's last visit to La Push and with the recent developments that had taken place in her life during the last month, Lydia had never been so grateful for Rachel's presence.

"Rachel!" Billy exclaimed upon seeing her two daughters enter the house.

Wheeling towards his eldest daughter, he hugged her tightly.

"You should have told me you were coming." he said with a smile.

"Where would be the surprise in that?" Rachel responded, laughing lightly and flicking her shoulder-length, straight black hair back.

"It's so good to have you here. We have to celebrate."

Watching her sister and father move into the kitchen, chatting together excitedly as they made plans, Lydia pulled out her phone and checked to see if she had received any messages. Heaving a sigh when she noticed she had not, Lydia placed her phone back into her pocket and followed her family into the kitchen.

Three entire days had come and gone and she was still yet to hear from Liam. She worried constantly that their friendship and potential romance had been ruined beyond any repair. She knew that she should be the one to call, apologise, and explain why Paul had been so upset that night. But she could not. Her words failed her. She could not even think about that night without her mind replaying the memory of Paul's hands and lips roaming over her skin and the way it made her feel as if she were burning alive.

"Lydia?"

Shaking herself out of her trance, Lydia was embarrassed to find the tips of her fingers tenderly grazing against her lips. Promptly dropping her hand away, she tried to focus her sole attention on Rachel who was staring at her almost impatiently.

"Did you say something?"

"Yes. I-"

A knock at the door interrupted Rachel before she had time to continue her sentence. Rushing to answer it, in the hope that it was Liam, Lydia pulled the door open in such haste that she almost knocked herself out. Her smile faltered. Standing before her was not Liam. It was Jared.

It was evident that Lydia was disappointed to see him. He wondered who she had been expecting but did not let himself ponder on it for too long.

"Hey, Lee."

"Jared…" Coming to her senses, Lydia stepped forward and hugged Jared gently before holding him at arms length to survey the damage for the vampire attack.

He stood in front of her, his top half completely naked despite the chill of the November air, whilst his lower body was covered by the Pack's trademark denim cut offs. His torso bore a thin, pale pink line that stretched from just below his ribcage to the top of his pelvis. Lydia whimpered. She could not even begin to imagine the pain Jared must have been in during the first stages of his injury.

"Are you okay? Stupid question…"

Chuckling, Jared shook his head. "I'm fine, Lydia. No need to worry."

"Paul said-"

"I know." Jared said. His face sombre for a brief moment.

He had seen it in Paul's eyes. The anguish and uncontrolled panic that had taken root in the man upon the very instant he had been told that Lydia wasn't with Kim. Paul had flown into a rampage. The vampires had taken advantage of Paul being distracted and his reckless actions and headed straight for Jared in a bid to escape the pack of wolves. Being impaled was not high on his list of things to ever experience again.

"Really, though, I'm okay." he smiled reassuringly.

"Good. I really am sorry, Jared. I never thought-"

"Lee, stop worrying. It's not your fault."

"It is. I never should have lied. I went back on the deal. Paul was so mad at me."

"He was only mad because he cares so much. You're his imprint.."

Remaining silent, Lydia felt at a loss to what to say. Remembering the reason behind his visit, Jared dug deep into the pocket of his cut offs and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Puzzled, Lydia eyed the paper with suspicion as Jared pressed it into her hand.

"It's from Paul.

Grasping the paper, Lydia stared down at it with wide eyes before turning them to Jared. Behind her, she heard her sister call out.

"Oh my god! Jared Cameron. I swear you get bigger every time I see you!" Rachel exclaimed, dazzling Jared with her smile as she appeared next to Lydia in the doorway.

"Rachel Black! What the hell?! Jacob didn't tell us you were coming back."

"I never told him."

"How long are you back for?"

"About a week or so."

Lydia paid little attention to the rest of the conversation. Her eyes focused only on the scrap of paper she held that seemed to be burning a whole in her hand. Carefully opening it, she scanned the words over and over again. Screwing the paper into a ball, she dropped it to the floor and shoved past Jared; earning her a look of worry from both Jared and Rachel.

"Lydia!" Rachel shouted, moving to go after her.

Picking up the ball of paper, Jared smoothed it open and read the scribble in haste. Grabbing Rachel at her upper arm, he stopped her from going any further.

"Leave her. She's gone to Paul."

"Paul? LaHote?" Rachel clarified; raising her eyebrows.

"It's a long story." answered Jared.

Grabbing the note from Jared's fingers, Rachel read it and was overcome with confusion. Her eyes raging, she glared at Jared.

"What the hell does this mean? 'The deal is off'. What deal?"

Banging incessantly on the door to Paul's home, Lydia cried out his name as she waited impatiently for an answer to come. But one never did. Sprinting into the forests that aligned First Beach, she called out with every aching breath within her lungs for Paul.

"Lee." he stated simply, appearing in front of her with a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

Infuriated, Lydia began pummelling her fists against his chest.

"Why? Why, Paul?!"

Gripping her wrists, Paul effortlessly put an end to Lydia's feeble assault. He watched as she slumped in defeat but her brown eyes still held resentment and anger within them.

"Why call the deal off? I messed up! I know that. But I'll stick to it this time."

"I don't want you to stick to it. I don't want the deal anymore."

"Why?!"

"Because of this."

Catching her lips in his, Paul kissed her softly. Just as with their first kiss and every kiss since, his mind exploded and his inner wolf yelped from pure joy and pleasure. It was intoxicating and so addictive.

He was still adamant that he was not in love with her but she was his imprint. She belonged to no-one but him and as much as he hated to admit it, ever since the night the vampires had crossed the borders of La Push, he couldn't bare the thought of Lydia ever leaving.

Breaking away from Paul, Lydia shook her head vehemently. This wasn't what she wanted. She wanted the deal. She yearned for the eventual freedom that she knew would come to her once the month was up. As much as she could not fully deny her growing feelings for Paul, her need for freedom was more urgent.

"No… No!" she shouted, pulling even further away and stopping Paul in his advancing tracks with a raise of her hand.

"Lee-"

"Shut up! I… I don't know what the hell happened to you in the last three days but I don't care. We hate each other, remember? Imprint or no imprint, when the month is up I'm free. That's the agreement and no amount of… kissing is going to change that."

Turning her back on him, Lydia wiped her hair away from her face and left Paul to be alone. Her pulse was still racing from the kiss and she could feel the blush on her cheeks.

Review? :) xxx


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the wait. It took so long as I couldn't decide which direction to take it in but now I have it all planned out. **

**As always, I do not own anything except my OC and story line. **

As she rounded the corner and walked the path that she knew would take her to her childhood home, Lydia remained lost in the tornado of her thoughts. Her face still burned pink but she could not determine whether it was from lust or loathing. So unobservant of her surrounding was she, that it wasn't until she heard her name being called that she realised she was no longer alone. In front of her, getting to his feet and holding a bouquet of flowers so unapologetic in their brightness, was Liam. His hand ran itself through his hair and then fell to his side; causing the already messy mop of hair to stick out at odd angles as he smiled tentatively at Lydia.

Her heartbeat began to relax and she allowed herself to return his smile. Meeting him as he descended the steps on her front porch, Lydia opened her mouth to apologise but found that her words had been robbed from her as she heard them rolling off of Liam's tongue.

"I'm so sorry for the way I acted. I was a royal jerk."

Her mouth agape, she strived to find just the right words that would erase the tension that permeated the air. Closing the gap that still remained, Liam lowered his mouth to Lydia's and kissed her. Wrapping her arms without thinking, Lydia eagerly returned the gift of Liam's kiss and pressed her lips to his with a fierceness that shocked them both.

"Wait. What's wrong?" asked Liam, breaking the kiss.

Confusion sweeping over her, it took a long moment before Lydia realised that Liam's question was in response to the shaking of her own head and as she stared him - admiring the dimples of his clean shaven cheeks - her vision betrayed her and Paul's face appeared taking the place of Liam's. A blink and it was gone but the ache in her chest remained.

"Nothing." she replied, sounding much more confident than she felt.

Pulling Liam back towards her, Lydia reinitiated their brief kiss and shut her eyes tight as she tried to block out the image of Paul and the voice inside her head that reprimanded her for allowing someone other than the hot-tempered wolf man to experience her body in such a manner.

The sudden sound of a throat clearing distracted both Lydia and Liam and with a scowl, Lydia once again pulled herself away from the man in her arms and turned towards where she thought the sound had come from. Her heart skipping a beat, Lydia felt her cheeks burn but quickly composed herself and rolled her eyes.

"Jesus, I cannot catch break today." she muttered under her breath.

The piercing brown eyes of none other than Paul LaHote bore deep into Lydia's own and waves of pure irritation radiated from him; almost visible in the way his broad shoulders were tensed and his jaw had locked. Her eyes wandered down and noted his clenched fists and Lydia immediately took a step away from Liam; hating the hurt she knew would be flitting across his face without having to look up.

No-one spoke and Lydia looked on in apprehension as Paul and Liam eyed each other with great scrutiny. Fearing for Liam's safety and the reservation's secret if Paul's famous temper kicked in, Lydia willed her brain to come up with a solution to stop any conflict before it started.

"You're the guy from the other night." Liam spoke.

A gasp involuntarily escaped Lydia's mouth but she remained rooted to the spot. Directing his attention to Lydia, Paul ignored Liam's statement and Lydia was amazed to see Paul's eyes soften upon sight of her.

"We need to talk."

Her ability to speak finally kicking in, Lydia planned to spit out a witty retort and put Paul back in his place; a place that did not involve her being so intimate with him at any point in their future. Instead, though, all she managed was a weak squeak of his name.

"Paul-"

"You don't just walk away from me. I wasn't done."

"Please, Paul, this isn't the time."

"I don't give a shit if it's inconvenient. He's none of my concern." Paul replied, pointing his thumb aggressively towards Liam.

Running one hand through her hair and gripping it at the roots for a few seconds, Lydia sighed with exhaustion. Before she could respond to Paul, Liam interjected.

"I think you should just leave her alone. She clearly doesn't want to talk to you."

Each word came out strained and Lydia felt the tell tale signs of a stress headache begin to take effect on her body. Seeing Paul snap his head around and glare dangerously at Liam, she rushed forward and tentatively placed a hand on Paul's chest. Her doe-like eyes stared up at him and her voice spoke to him in soft cadences, but she doubted he heard her as he fired an angry reply at the fellow man.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm-"

"Actually, I couldn't give a damn who you are, but you're starting to be a pain in my ass. So get lost."

"I'll leave when Lydia wants me to and I don't think she does." Liam answered, doubting himself even as he spoke when his eyes took in the sight of Lydia tenderly attempting to calm Paul.

Shoving Lydia's hand away from him, Paul advanced on Liam and towered over him. His knuckles had turned ghostly white from the immense effort of keeping his violent urges at bay, but the grip he held on his temper was waning fast.

"What, you think because you had one date and made out on her porch that you're somehow special?"

"Paul, stop it!" warned Lydia.

"Newsflash, you're not."

Pulling on Paul's shirt, Lydia tried in vain to stop Paul's attack before he revealed too much.

"You sound like a jealous boyfriend if you ask me." said Liam, his mouth in a grimace.

Smirking, Paul let out a dry laugh and raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Jealous? Of you? Mate, it was me she was kissing the other night after your little date and again just a few minutes ago."

Closing her eyes in utter disbelief, Lydia felt her heart sink as a disturbing quiet settled amongst the trio. Finally, Liam's voice broke the silence and its tremor of pain broke Lydia's heart.

"Is that true?"

Lifting her gaze to meet Liam's, she kept her mouth closed. She knew that she probably could convince Liam that Paul was lying and save not only any potential relationship they might have, but also their friendship which Lydia was sure would be ruined after the day's events.

"You are so not who I thought you were." Liam eventually uttered when Lydia's lack of denial confirmed what he did not want to hear.

Dropping the flowers to the floor, Liam walked away without a goodbye or one last look. Focusing obsessively on the abandoned bouquet of flowers that lay against the dirt of the path, Lydia only looked up when she heard Paul address her.

"Lee."

"I can't…" she began, chewing her bottom lip.

Beneath the numbness, she knew there would be a flicker of rage. That there should be. Yet, she did not feel ready to pounce on Paul in anger or call him out for his despicable actions. He had destroyed any hope she had of a romantic relationship with Liam, but the fire that had coursed through her veins less than half an hour ago had fully extinguished.

"It's too much."

"What is?" Paul questioned as he twisted his fingers gently into Lydia's silky hair.

"You. One minute you hate me, the next you're kissing me. I don't know what to do!"

Running the pad of his thumb over Lydia's cheek bone, Paul sighed heavily and frowned. His elation at having Lydia in his arms was tainted by the confusion of his own feelings, as well as the furious growls of his inner wolf as the smell of Liam's kiss still lingered on the lips of his imprint.

_**Ours. Only ours. Always ours. **_

A stray tear falling from her eye, Lydia wiped away the treacherous liquid as it betrayed her vulnerability and inner turmoil. Pushing Paul away from her, Lydia turned her face so her inky coloured hair sheathed her face from view but found that the reprieve did not last as long as she had hoped it would. Claiming her face in his hands, Paul stared down at her and caught her gaze in his own.

"I don't have all the answers. I can't explain any of this but I need you to trust me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because none of this makes any sense, Paul!" she half-yelled, shoving Paul away. "All of this has happened so fast. A week ago you would have gladly called me a pain in the ass and flipped me off."

"Oh, believe me, I still think you're a pain in the ass." he responded, smirking as he took a step towards Lydia. "and I'm not in love with you before you ask… but that doesn't mean I don't think about you or constantly want to kiss you."

With the ending of his sentence, he had once again invaded Lydia's personal space and stood tall and brooding as he looked down at her. Side blinded by his confession, Lydia did not fight back when Paul's soft lips met hers for the second time that morning. Moaning against him, Lydia allowed his tongue to gently trace her bottom lip and felt her eyes flutter shut in pleasure.

"Aw, c'mon, Paul. Knock it off. I don't need to see that." Jared laughed out.

"Shut it, Cameron. You don't hear me complaining about you and Kim all the time." Paul replied light heartedly.

Pressing her face into Paul's chest out of embarrassment, Lydia hid herself in the comfort of her broad arms as she rolled her eyes up the sky and blushed a burning shade of red.

"It's about time you two got together."

Snapping her head up and towards Jared, Lydia groaned at the sight of Jared and Rachel staring down at her and Paul; their faces wearing identical cheesy grins and raised eyebrows.

"We are not together." Lydia argued, growing frustrated at the sight of her sister's obvious disbelieving eyes.

"That was some pretty hot kiss for people who aren't together." Jared teased.

Launching herself at the smiling man, Lydia shouted in anger when Paul yanked her back and encased her weak human body in his strong arms. His voice whispering in her ear, Lydia immediately felt herself begin to calm despite the warring emotions inside her chest.

"It's okay. Leave it, Lee."

"We're not together." she reiterated, this time speaking only to Paul.

"He's just teasing you." Paul answered, ignoring the sting of rejection at Lydia's statement.

Confident that she had cooled off enough, Paul gingerly released Lydia and watched on as she bound up the steps and stopped only briefly to address her older sister.

"Not a word."

* * *

Fires burning bright and the flickers of their embers casting shadows across the faces of those in attendance, Lydia listened in both awe and irrational anger as her father told the tales of the Quileute ancestors. They were stories she had heard so many times over that she had them memorised. Yet, they never once failed to amaze her.

As she listened to the deep baritones of her father's voice, a wave of sadness crept up on her and her heart swelled. The memory of the day she had discovered the secret of the reservation and her destiny as an imprint swirled around her head and served only to increase the heaviness in her chest.

_"No. You're lying! Stop lying to me!" Lydia screeched as Sam placed a hand on her shoulder. _

_Batting his hand away as if it would hurt her, Lydia clutched at her chest. It was more than she could handle. It couldn't possibly be true. Wolves. Vampires. Imprints. Suddenly, her brother's fascination with Bella Swan made sense; the change in Jacob both physically and emotionally over the previous weeks. It was as if someone had lifted her out of the darkness and the truth she was now faced with was the blinding sun. It hurt. Oh god, how it pained her. _

_"Lydia, I know it's a lot to take in -"_

_"Shut up! Just shut up!" _

_Her breathing becoming quicker and more shallow with each second that ticked by, Lydia shook her head violently and glared at Sam. _

_"It can't be true. It just can't." _

_"Lydia…" Billy started cautiously, knowing his own daughter's tempestuous nature. "It is true. You know I would never lie to you. It's very important that this secret stays between only those that know."_

_"I don't want this, Dad." _

_"It's a great honour to be chosen as an imprint, Lydia and-"_

_Rage swallowing her whole, Lydia screamed so loud that the entire room fell silent. As everyone gawked at her in surprise, Lydia wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks with the back of her hand. Standing to her full height and lifting her chin with pride, she cleared her throat and spoke with fierce determination and unquestioned purpose. _

_"I do not want to be an imprint and I will not bow to some preconceived notion that my life is determined by the gods. I don't give a damn about the Pack or imprinting. I won't be his imprint." _

_"Rejecting the imprint or fighting it could cause unforeseen damage to the Pack and to the imprint." Sam began. _

_Training her eyes on the leader, she surprised herself with how brave she felt as she addressed someone she now knew would be able to tear her limb from limb as easily as she could tear a piece of paper. _

_"How do you know? Have you ever tried?"_

_"Well… no but-"_

_"Then shut up, Sam. None of you have any idea what could happen so as far as I'm concerned the gods can shove their imprinting deal up their asses."_

_"Lydia!" Billy chastised._

_Taking no notice of her father's stern warning, Lydia continued on in her impassioned rant. _

_"The moment I turn eighteen, I'm gone. You can find someone else to be your goddamn imprint." _

Of course she hadn't left. Thinking back on it as she enjoyed the glowing heat of the fire, Lydia struggled to recall a reason as to why she still remained on the reservation.

"What's wrong?"

Glancing sideways, Lydia eyed Paul. She had not registered him sitting beside her so lost in her thoughts she had been. His brown eyes watching her intently, she gulped involuntarily and shifted her gaze so it was now focused on the burning logs in front of her.

She questioned whether his concern for her was genuine, a trick, or whether it was purely a result of the imprinting. The question was on the tip of her tongue but it was not what left her mouth as she spoke to Paul without looking at him.

"Do you enjoy being a wolf?"

Taken aback by the unexpected turn of conversation, Paul pondered on Lydia's question for all but a brief second.

"Yeah. I do."

"Really?" she argued, eyes wide and now bearing into Paul's.

With a nonchalant shrug, Paul took a swig of his beer and smiled at Lydia.

"Yeah. I'm faster and stronger than I've ever been. I can do things that other guys can't. It's pretty damn cool."

"Even with all the vampires?"

"Have you seen me? I'm a killing machine. Why? Do you worry about me?" he joked, raising one eyebrow and knocking Lydia playfully with his shoulder.

Scoffing, Lydia shook her head at Paul and stole the beer from his hand; taking a large mouthful and coughing at the sour taste.

"Why were you crying?" Paul asked seriously.

Averting her eyes again, Lydia laughed inwardly at the strangeness of the situation. Never in her wildest dreams would she had imagined sharing her emotions with the person she had hated the most for over three years. Despite the past though, she felt the need to be truthful and forthcoming.

"I was thinking about the day they told me about you."

"Ah."

Taking the beer back, Paul drained the remains of the liquid whilst wracking his brain for something to say.

"I was so mad."

"I remember." he mumbled. "In fact, I think you told them all to go to hell or something like that."

"Yeah… something like that."

"I was so in awe of you back then."

Stunned, her breath hitched in her throat before Lydia brought her eyes up and carefully examined Paul's face. There lay in his eyes a glimmer of affection and wholehearted truth.

"What?"

"You were the first person to tell them to do one. Not even I was brave enough to do that."

"You never told me that."

"Yeah… well… just because I admired what you did didn't mean I'd stopped hating you."

Caught up in one another, the two continued to remain locked in discussion and oblivious to all that was going on around them.

"Besides…" Paul persisted. "I also remember you telling me to jump off a cliff and drown. So, you know."

"You were an insufferable prick! You still are! You did nothing but torment me!" Lydia argued.

"And you were a stuck up bitch. I call that being even."

Scowling uncontrollably, Lydia let out an annoyed grunt and folded her arms over the chest as she turned her back on Paul. His laughed only made her more mad and she whipped her head around to reprimand him.

"God, I hate you."

"You make it too easy for me, Lee."

"Why do you have to be such an ass? Oh my god! Stop laughing!"

Not caring that she was causing a scene, Lydia jumped up from her seat and stormed away from the bonfire. Forcing herself to walk as fast as she could, the sounds of those she left behind soon extinguished and she stopped dead in her tracks. Filling her aching lungs with fresh, cold night air, Lydia shivered as the wind bit at her skin.

"I'm a dick."

His voice dominated the still air and caused Lydia to jump with fear. Her heart was thumping out so loud and her breathing so erratic, that it was impossible for her to reply so she let Paul carry on as he approached her.

"And you're a bitch. You have made my life fucking misery for three years blaming me for something that wasn't my fault… and I've done the same to you. Your dad suggested we be friends. Jared takes the piss out of me every day about you. I spend half my time lately hating you and the other half wanting to fuck your brains out."

At that, Lydia spun around and stared open mouthed at Paul.

"I know you're not going to tell me why you hate me so much and I won't tell you why either. My head is all messed up but I do know that I don't want to fight with you anymore… and I don't want you to leave. I don't care if it makes you unhappy. I don't want you to go. I will do everything I can to make sure you stay and if that makes me a selfish ass then fine."

"We're not together, Paul."

Keeping his hands by his sides, Paul pushed down his frustrations deep into the pit of his stomach and ignored the whining of his wolf.

"I know."

"I want to leave."

"I know. I also know you've been saying that for three years and you're still here."

"I am going to leave, Paul. I'm going to leave this place, get a job, date a nice guy…"

Scrunching his eyes shut and playing out a mantra in his head reminding him to keep his cool, Paul clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into the skin of his palms. Releasing a breath, he flexed his fingers and welcomed the cracking noise of relief that accompanied the action. Arguing with her wouldn't help his cause. Demanding that she stay or ordering her to would do nothing except push her further away. Something he desperately wanted to avoid.

"If that's what you want… but I don't give up easily." he replied with a smirk, sauntering forward.

Dipping his head down, he captured Lydia's mouth with his own and automatically wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling her flush against him, Paul bit Lydia's bottom lip and eagerly grazed her tongue with his own; her moans spurring him on.

"The kissing has to stop." Lydia punched out between breaths and forbidden kisses.

"Uh huh." Paul muttered faking agreement.

Hating herself for putting an end to the pleasure bombardment of Paul's lips, Lydia placed her palms of Paul's chest and held him away from her; not fully trusting herself not to engage in another heated make-out session.

"It's not real, Paul. Everything you think you feel… it's not real. It's just the imprint. You really want to know why I hate you? You took away my chance of real love; of having someone love me for who I am and not because of some stupid mystical bond. I want more than that and I won't get that here."

Turning on her heel, Lydia walked away from Paul for the final time that night; each step accentuated by her mind's plea that Paul would not follow her again.

**Review? :)**


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